Rotarian's generous donation
20 January 2020
NEWS DESK
| The Standard (Warrnambool)
WARRNAMBOOL - A Warrnambool man has purchased a four-wheel-drive to help volunteers in Papua New Guinea give residents access to fresh water.
Ian Watson, a team of the Rotary Papua New Guinea Project Group, has taken part in four volunteer missions and discovered the team's biggest challenge was moving the team and its equipment.
Often volunteers need to navigate remote areas which do not have road access.
Mr Watson decided to purchase an ex Australian Defence Force Mercedes Benz four-wheel-drive truck to help.
He is also helping to organise the 2020 program to help give schools and remote villages access to clean water.
To date the project group has worked with and trained PNG nationals to dig water bores, provided and installed hand and solar water pumps, water tanks and tank stands to schools, remote villages and communities.
It is estimated that the group has facilitated clean water provision for more than 6000 Papua New Guinean nationals.
Group members also distributed humanitarian aid materials, teaching materials, books and sports equipment to remote schools.
The PNG Project Group is a partnership of Rotary, Wannon Water, the PNG Oro Community Service Foundation and other organisations
Thanks for the truck but please make sure that those going to use the truck have access to spare parts and there should be a route back to Australia where these parts are sourced, paid for etc.
I know places where donated vehicles, tractors etc have stopped running because of small items like filters cannot be found in country and nobody is told where and how to get these parts.
And yes, PNG does not stock or trade in Mercedes-Benz.
Posted by: Baka Bina | 30 January 2020 at 03:25 PM