Forest Hills Rotary Provides Water for African Orphanage

On a medium sized mountain called Cyakabiri in the center of Rwanda sits Binunga Village, where the will have a lasting impact on the lives of those who live there as they help to provide a new water system.

The Urukundo Home for Children, which was started in 2006 by Arlene Brown, mother of owner of Forest Hills, is in the center of Binunga Village. The orphanage has 44 children, ages from 1 to 19 years. 

This project, funded by the Rotary Foundation through a matching grant initiated by the Rotary Club of Forest Hills and hosted by the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga, will pump more than 8,800 gallons a day up a mountain to the orphanage, school and a village of about 2,500 people, who have no water at that level and must travel down the mountain to manually haul water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and to water livestock.

The project kicked off Saturday in the village just outside of Gitarama. 

The new system will free women and children of the burden of hauling the water. This would make more abundant water available for these uses and for gardening.

“This project is typical of the good works and projects that Rotary International provides” said Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga President Dr. Jolly Mazimhaka, whose Club is also behind the construction of the first public library in Rwanda which will open later this year across from the U.S. Embassy. 

Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto Service Above Self, Rotary’s main objective is service—in the community, in the workplace and throughout the world.