Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, currently Administrator of the United Nations Development Program and muted to be the next and first female United Nations General Secretary after Ban ki Moon, took time out of her busy international schedule for a private meeting with Adrian Brewer, CEO of the Isle of Wight based International charity The RoTB Trust.
Amongst the many subjects discussed in relation to the situation in various parts of the world were the sanitation and water problems for nearly three billion people, varying from not having any facilities and supply at all, to the difficulties for women and children having to collect water in inadequate dirty containers from distances as far as ten miles from their homes.
Today and everyday women in South Africa walk the equivalent of 16 times to the moon and back just to collect enough water for their families.(WHO)
UN help for Island charity
Helen Clark, reputed by Forbes magazine to be the 20th most powerful woman in the world, offered to advance the use of the Rotary Water Barrel through agencies of the UN which the ROTB Trust already supply independently to numerous communities around the world.
Helen Clark said,
“The importance of women and children having sufficient clean potable water and adequate sanitation cannot be over emphasised, it affects their health, education and general well being.
“We need to work together, the NGOs, agencies, charities and governments to ensure sustainable avenues of aid to improve the health and welfare of women and children around the world.
Sustainable solutions needed
Adrian Brewer added,
“In the 21st century, water and sanitation must be the moral imperative if we are ever to help those communities lift themselves out of incomprehensible poverty. To prevent disease and improve infant mortality, they need sustainable solutions, not just handouts.”
Adrian and Helen are expecting to meet up again to review the situation and how the RoTB Trust can become part of the solution.
“One way we can move this forward is to build a strong base here on the Isle of Wight and from there move on and be recognised on the world stage. We would welcome volunteers with varied experience to help with these problems which are not going to go away on their own.”
Adrian and Helen are pictured with one part of the solution, the Rotary Water Barrel.
Adrian added,
“This rotary barrel changes peoples lives in an instant.”
You can find out more about the charity by visiting the Roll Out The Barrel website.
