By the end of June 2010 the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation completed its 100 th project with a total spend of $1.3 Million and directly benefiting around 45,500 people in various parts of Fiji. A milestone achieved in just two and a half years of operation.

Established in October 2007, its principal activity is to assist disadvantaged and impoverished rural communities with the provision of sustainable, clean and safe drinking water without discriminating on race, religion or creed.

A non-profit organization, the Foundation is registered as a limited liability company and administered by a Board of Directors with a manager and a staff of two.

There are around 200 more requests for similar assistance from the two main islands as well as from Yasawas, Kadavu, Lomaiviti, Lau, Taveuni and others.

These projects are a partnership between the Foundation their villages, the former providing the funding and the village on its part, making its people available to assist in the construction and installation works with labour input and committing them selves to good governance of the new system.

Applications for assistance are assessed by a Technical Advisory Committee comprising electrical and mechanical engineers, hydro geologist, organic chemist, renewable energy power system experts and drilling personnel who all assist the Foundation in areas where their professional expertise are required and also supervise construction and installation works which are carried out by contractors.

The nature and size of these projects range from sourcing water from a natural spring catchments, the provision of water tanks and piping or for the larger type, digging of boreholes, electrical pumping into storage tanks and reticulation into individual homes.

There is also a Water Committee consisting of men and women from the village which meets regularly for the duration of the project and manages the facility after its completion.

The Foundation also believes that education is a very essential aspect of any successful project such as these and has engaged the services of Partners in Community Development Fiji (PCDF) which conducts training and awareness workshops on water management, sanitation and best practice methods.

Annual funding is received from four local donors who include the FIJI Water Foundation, Punja & Sons Limited of Lautoka, Westpac Banking Corporation and the Vodafone ATH Fiji Foundation while offshore funding is provided by the Rotary International Foundation. Golden Manufacturers Limited was also a donor for two years until December 2009.