Rotary Club of Belfast

Aquabox Saves Lives!

David Hood 24.05.21

Aquabox Trustee Wirksworth Rotary Club Immediate Past District Governor in his most informative address to the Club Monday 24 May explained what Aquabox do. The volunteer-led charity, founded in 1992, basically they go where disasters strike and save lives by providing clean, safe drinking water. 

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They dispatch safe drinking water filters for families and for community, medical etc. centres and Gold boxes with vital humanitarian aid items and have worked most recently in: Nepal, Kerala India, Philippines, Yemen, Cameroon, Syria, Bay of Bengal and Beirut following the dock explosion.

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With the support of local Rotarians and aid agencies they ensure proper distribution and correct usage training and the video shows how a distribution in Syria worked and its impact.

He revealed in just 8 years their filters have empowered people to produce 2.35 billion litres of safe drinking water – enough, they calculate, for 2 litres of water for every person in Africa!

AB5However he also stressed that they are prioritising reducing plastic pollution by ensuring as much as possible of the contents of their Gold Box are made from sustainable products not plastic. In just one year (2018-19) they supplied filters capable of producing 4000 litres of water every minute resulting in 4000 plastic litre bottles of water no longer being needed or transported – a massive reduction in the carbon footprint. Assembly of the filters is done by volunteers at their centre which enables them to keep costs down and currently each unit costs as shown.

In 2019-20 they sent out 150 Gold Boxes to Malawi; Assam - 12 Aqua12s; Grand Bahama - 30 Aqua 12s, 10 Community; Nepal - 380 Gold; Yemen - 250 Gold and 10 Aqua12s; Syria - 180 Gold; Bay of Bengal - 250 Gold, 5 Aqua 12s and 10 Community and Beirut - 12 Aqua 12s and 4 Community at a cost of £200k plus freight. This year they have recently sent shipments to the Philippines, Yemen and Beirut. 

AB7David concluded by showing this ingenious use for their boxes!

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