OUR BEGINNINGS

The Strategic Water Alliance (SWA) started back in 2007, when a Rotarian of the Dulles Club, Rich McCary, had a classmate whose son was serving a two year stint in the Peace Corp of Zambia, Africa. The Dulles Club saw how the locals not only had to walk long distances for water but also didn’t even have a clean supply (only shallow wells and streams that were often contaminated with runoff). After finding a sustainable solution (a 50 meter bore hole with a hand pump), the Dulles Club funded not only the pump but also a tool-kit for long-term maintenance. After this greatly successful project, the SWA was formed. For the next two years, members continued to travel to Zambia to learn more through photos and interviews with schools.

In 2011-2012, the Dulles Club reached out to other clubs in District 7610 to band together for financing and spreading the workload. As more clubs joined the iniative, projects involving sanitation and hygiene education were developed to complement the other programs. From creating simple boreholes back in 2007, the SWA has transitioned into making large-scale, impactful projects all over the world, from submersible pumps to elevated storage tanks.