About WASRAG

 
The Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG) was formed in 2007 by a group of Rotarians, recognized by Rotary International, and focused on WASH projects.  Since then it has facilitated many hundreds of projects – helping clubs find partners, ensuring sustainability, stressing the importance of a needs-driven approach, and developing best practices.  We encourage a holistic, integrated approach in which water is not the end in itself, but is rather the means to a better life and livelihood in the community.  Most importantly WASRAG links water and sanitation to improved hygiene, better health, and empowerment of the community – especially women, irrigation and agriculture, education and literacy and, ultimately, child mortality.

Vision Statement:  Health, education and prosperity for all through safe water, sanitation and hygiene. 

Mission Statement:  Providing human,  technical and financial support to Rotary clubs and districts seeking to help communities to gain sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
WASRAG Goals:

Access and connect with experts in WASH

Provide technical guides for all stages of WASH projects including program life cycle

Seek funding outside the Rotary domain to complement internal resources

Facilitate connections with other organizations sharing Rotary goals

Alert Rotarians to the availability of expertise and financial resources

Identify and share Rotary and other resources available to Rotarians.

Assist and enable clubs to seek support from other clubs, from TRF and beyond Rotary

Ensure clubs can learn of the needs of other clubs

Maintain and build a collaborative working relationship with RI and TRF

Implement appropriate processes to monitor and evaluate the impact , efficacy and sustainability of Rotary projects and programs

Facilitate the exchange of idea and information

Going to the RI Convention in Atlanta?

Plan on attending the 9th annual WASRAG World Water Summit on Friday, June 9th beginning at 7:30 am with a light breakfast and speakers kicking off at 8:30 am.  This year's theme will focus on WASH and Women,  showing how women and girls are elevating their communities through water, sanitation and hygiene programs.  The opening speaker will be Kate Harawa, Malawi Country Chair of Water for People. 

As a child in in Malawi, Kate experienced first-hand the challenges of fetching water from a distant, often contaminated water source.  Not surprisingly her university studies focused on WASH and she has dedicated her professional career to advocating for change and working to improve access to safe water.  As Country Program Director for Water for People her work has included such diverse areas as:

  • Leading an initiative to pilot composting toilets;
  • Conducting tests on the safety and nutritive value of compost;
  • Capturing lessons learned and sharing knowledge.
Her talk will be "Motivated women will change the world through WASH".