Origins of the Project
The initiative began when Noel Halford, Rotary Hawthorn's Club Service Director 2018-19, learned about John Millington and Rotary Club of Nhill's successful work integrating Karen refugees into the Nhill community. After John's presentation to the club, a memorable weekend visit to Nhill in April 2019 - "The Road to Nhill" - deepened understanding of the Karen people's situation.
During the visit, Hawthorn Rotarians learned about the challenges faced by Karen refugees, including those still in overcrowded camps where clean water access is severely limited. This visit sparked a friendship between the two Rotary clubs and led to joint initiatives, including sponsoring Mu Yeh Htoo, the first Karen student from Nhill Secondary College to attend the National Youth Science Forum.
The Water Solution
After learning about the water access challenges, club representatives met with Disaster Aid Australia, founded by Rotary Club of Endeavour Hills, to explore solutions. The SkyHydrant pump demonstration showed its potential to help the Karen community.
Key Project Features:
- Daily capacity: 10,000 litres of filtered water
- Community involvement in installation and maintenance
- Local training provided for pump maintenance
- Partnership with Disaster Aid Australia
- Funding through club fundraising events and a Rotary Foundation matched grant
Background: The Karen People
The Karen are an ethnic group from Myanmar who fled religious and ethnic persecution. Approximately 140,000 Myanmar refugees, primarily Karen, have lived in Thai border camps - some for up to two decades.
Project Impact
The successful installation in December 2020 has provided reliable access to clean drinking water for the Day Bu Noh community, significantly improving their daily lives.
Project Report
Read the report on the completed project (December 2020) - DOWNLOAD PDF