It's not often that a Rotarian goes 14,000 kilometres to present an award for outstanding humanitarian contributions to the recipient's community. But Terry Umbach, a member of the Rotary Club of the Sunshine Coast, is no ordinary Rotarian, and Kenyan Duncan Ngochi is no ordinary recipient.
For the past four-plus years, Umbach has worked tirelessly to bring water to Ndandini, a village in Kenya.
Three years ago, Ngochi agreed to become the project manager of the well endeavour. Since then, Ngochi has been responsible for managing all the on-site work at the village. Many Rotary clubs worldwide, including the local club and many non-Rotarian groups including St. Hilda's Anglican Church of Sechelt, supported the project.
In June 2010, the well became a hugely successful reality. In addition to the well itself, Ngochi has now managed the acquisition and installation of a drip-irrigations greenhouse for the local primary school. This project has resulted in the growing of year-round crops in the area for the first time. Ngochi has also managed all the on-site work for a solar power project and a scholarship for a secondary school in the area.
These projects have seen power and lighting installed, an Internet-enabled computer with a TV/DVD and camera provided and nine scholarships awarded.
In addition, Ngochi has looked after all on-site work for the past year for a community garden. This has seen the acquisition of land, the installation of a large community greenhouse and a small building to accommodate volunteers who go to Ndandini.
Ngochi's latest support is for a Rotary Global Grant that will deliver water from the well to six schools in that parched part of Africa. This will make potable water much more available to the over 3,000 people in the area.
The award presented to Ngochi is named after the founder of Rotary International, Paul Harris. It is administered through the Rotary Foundation.
For Umbach, a Paul Harris Fellow himself, this award is a good fit of the ideals of Rotary and the diligence of Ngochi. The same can be said of Umbach. His tireless crusading for the past several years is an inspiration to all his fellow Rotarians.
