Golden Vally Rotary kicked off 2023 with an inspiring presentation by Jaime Belden, President and Co-Founder of the non-profit Future Roots. Jaime updated us on a challenging and rewarding water project. The water project, installing low-cost water filters in homes in remote villages in Central America, is sponsored by 7 Rotary clubs in our area: Crystal – New Hope – Robbinsdale (primary club), Golden Valley, Minnetonka, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, St Louis Park, and Plymouth.Last November, Jaime and her husband Diego, made a long journey by plane and several boats to remote villages, armed with water filters, buckets, tools, and determination, to equip 135 homes with clean water. In this area of Central America, subject to frequent rainfall, the water looks clean and clear. Unfortunately, the water table is very high, and that clean-looking water is filled with bacteria and parasites. With a simple $50 filter, a bucket, and education from Jaime’s team, a family can have clean water and much improved health.
Jaime has a long-standing relationship with these villages because of her many years of teaching there. The village leaders and the villagers themselves greeted her project enthusiastically and eagerly participated in the manual work needed for implementation. In all, 1080 people now benefit from filtered water. Golden Valley Rotary is proud to support this project, proof that a relatively small investment can make a big difference.