The work of international travel industry charity ‘Just a Drop’ has provided clean water – and the chance of life…
The work of international travel industry charity ‘Just a Drop’ has provided clean water – and the chance of life – to two remote communities in Tanzania and India, who were suffering from a chronic lack of sanitation.
Founded on behalf of the industry by leading business event World Travel Market, these two projects are the first to be supported by ‘Just a Drop’ since the appeal crucially attained charitable status at end of last year.
The projects were funded by money raised by the International Institute of Peace Through Tourism (IIPT), the Visit USA Committee, the Travel Trust Association and joint industry events, including a Family Fun Walk, supported by Travel Weekly UK and a Captains of Industry Lunch at World Travel Market during 2003.
Working with the British Red Cross and the Scientific Exploration Society, the projects were agreed by ‘Just a Drop’s’ trustees, chaired by explorer Col. Blashford Snell.
In total, the charity has now raised nearly $581,000 during the past six years.
Fiona Jeffery, founder of ‘Just a Drop’ and Group Exhibition Director of World Travel Market said: ”Thanks to the efforts of many industry professionals around the world last year, we have helped to totally transform the lives of two very deprived communities where children were dying because of terrible water born diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery and cholera.”
Helping a Tanzanian Village
The IIPT, based in Vermont, United States has come to the rescue of the village of Ndundunyikanza in the Rufiji district with a ‘Vermont Well’ through a fundraising campaign in Vermont with the assistance of Tony Clarke, Blueberry Hill Inn, Catherine DeLeo, Lyndon State College and Mentor of IIPT’s Youth Network as well as Fredrick de Jong.
For the past ten years, since a former sanitation system broke down, the village has relied on a dirty stream which regularly goes dry for up to six months of the year. The dire result has been frequent outbreaks of cholera among the population of more than 3,000, particularly children – a direct result of lack of sanitation and polluted water.
The money raised by the IIPT has meant the construction of a completely new sanitation system, the provision of a 10,000-litre water tank and stand, the drilling of a borehole, the installation of a pump and generator and the building of a latrine.
IIPT’s founder and president Louis D’Amore said the idea to support ‘Just a Drop’ was motivated by Fiona Jeffery’s inspiring presentation of ‘Just A Drop’ at the Captains of Industry Luncheon, World Travel Market 2002. ”Making clean water available to the poorest people in the world made perfect sense in the context of IIPT’s emphasis on harnessing tourism as a leading force for poverty reduction.”
The ‘Vermont Well’ was announced as a living legacy of IIPT’s 2nd African Conference held in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania in December 2003. The people in the village of Ndundunyikanz will no longer have to stand helplessly and watch their children die because of a lack of clean water.”
Coming to the Aid of the Khasi Tribe
Collecting clean water for the people of the Khasi tribe living in dense tropical forests in North East India, a ten hour trek from the nearest civilisation, meant a perilous climb down a steep ravine at the edge of the village.
It meant that women and children were often injured in their daily mission to reach the water for bathing, drinking and cooking.
Now ‘Just a Drop’ funds have been used by the Scientific Exploration Society to provide piping and build a protected well for the village of 200.
Col. Blashford Snell, who led the Scientific Exploration group to the village, said that he had first encountered the tribe two years ago when it was obvious they needed urgent help.
He said: ”The tribe is cut off from the rest of the state of Meghalaya by steep sided, jungle covered hills filled with wild elephant, tiger, leopard, boar, black bear and gaur, the giant Indian bison.
“The society agreed to mount an expedition which would install a water supply system as well as provide dental and medical assistance. It was quite a triumph to get all the equipment to such a hidden area of the world.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
