CEO of Local Nonprotifs and Rotarians–Return from Life Saving Delivery

Contact:

World Emergency Relief, Peggy Reiber (peggy@wer-us.org) or

Rescue Task Force, Andrea Stone (andreas@rescuetaskforce.org)

760-930-8001 or visit www.wer-us.org

Being the CEO of one nonprofit can certainly be a full time endeavor, let alone two. Gary Becks is the CEO of World Emergency Relief (WER) and Rescue Task Force (RTF), who are in the process of merging. If that is not keeping him busy enough, Gary will return this week from a 10 day mission trip with local Rotarians, Dan Conaway (Rancho San Diego / Spring Valley Rotary Club) and District 5340 Water Resources coordinator (Bill Stumbaugh), along with volunteers from Rescue Task Force.

Upon arrival in Honduras, the team met with Rotarians from host Tocoa Rotary Club, Tocoa, Honduras for delivery of 100 water filter units to 3 “test” villages. Today, more than 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation. Each year, 1.8 million people — 90 percent of them children under age five — die from preventable diarrheal diseases. Diarrheal diseases and related malnutrition account for virtually all of the deaths and nearly 90 percent of the overall disease burden associated with unsafe water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. Therefore, activities in these areas are key health interventions. (Source: Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act Report to Congress, June 2008)

Most of the world’s peoples live “on the edge.” This is true of the villagers of the Moskito Coast in the jungles of Honduras and Nicaragua, where there is no power, windows, sanitation, transportation (other than by horse, dug out canoe or walking), only minimal medical and dental care, and most importantly, no clean, potable water. The Rancho San Diego / Spring Valley Rotary Club, in conjunction with other clubs in District 5340 (San Diego County), and a host club in Tocoa, Honduras are intent on changing that for eventually some 22,000 beautiful people spread throughout the small villages of “La Moskitia.”

Local Rotary Clubs are working with Rescue Task Force as the Cooperating Organization. Phase 1 efforts in one village have reduced the incidence of diarrhea by over 90%. With an improved, technologically-appropriate filter “kit” – one for each village family – will improve these excellent, initial results. The project will be implemented in 4 phases, and will deliver 400 units and will provide clean potable water to over approximate 22,000 people of La Moskitia.

Anyone interested in helping to provide clean drinking water around the world can contact World Emergency Relief, Peggy Reiber (peggy@wer-us.org) or Rescue Task Force, Andrea Stone (andreas@wer-us.org) at 760-930-8001 or visit www.wer-us.org.

Assorted villagers surround Dan Conaway, Bill Stumbaugh and Gary Becks in RTF T-shirts

Rotarian, Bill Stumbaugh, Water Resources Coordinator for District 5340, Gary Becks CEO of World Emergency Relief and Rescue Task Force, Dan Conaway, Rancho San Diego/Spring Valley Rotary, and Tocoa Honduras Rotary member Sergio Enrique Martinez, Rosale and background unanimous villagers who benefited from the water filters