Agua Fresca - Fresh Water in Paraguay

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International Service Travel Opportunity:

Club Members Traveled to Luque, Paraguay in June of 2018 and 2024. Planning in process for an August 2027 International Service Trip to inaugurate the 15 Agua Fresca (Cool Water) drinking fountains in Nueva Italia and Luque Paraguay.




History

This represents a multi year commitment by the Rotary club of Vinings Cumberland members to the health of Lugue Paraguay and their local Rotary club.  In 2025, it was further financed by a District Grant.

The project resulted as a need to p rovide fresh, cold water to students in the summer months of extreme Paraguayan heat without AC when the local club advised that student attendance is low due to not having cool drinking water. The initial project took place in 2018 followed by a trip to Paraguay by Vinings Cumberland Rotarians to see the fountains and meet Luque, Paraguay Club Rotarians.

A second school was identified in 2019, however due to the pandemic the project was paused. In 2022 Vinings Cumberland Rotary in partnership with Rotary in Paraguay did deliver a second project and the hope is to now scale this repeatable project to more schools in Paraguay. The Vinings Cumberland Rotary Club has been invited by our Rotarians in Paraguay to visit in Spring of 2023 by which time we hope to have reached additional schools with this cool, fresh water, AGUA FRESCA!

Rotary Luque in Paraguay and Rotary Vinings Cumberland have now expanded to additional schools in the region over a 1 year period (2025) via the Rotary Foundation Global Grant of $30,000 which consists of 13 schools and 4,752 students and teachers .


Facts and Timeline

• 2017 - Need was communicated by school principal to Rotary Club of Luque in 2017
• 2018 - Rotary Club of Vinings Cumberland approached Rotary Club of Luque in early 2018 to partner with a local project in Luque
• 2018 - In late 2018, Rotary of Luque and Vinings Cumberland delivered the first fountains to Luque , Paraguay, School ‘Heroes de la Patria’
• 2019 - Vinings Cumberland Rotary members traveled to Luque , Paraguay for the inauguration ceremony of the fountain. Planning was started to serve additional schools in Luque, Paraguay.
• 2020 - 2022 – worldwide pandemic
• 2022 - Additional schools were served in Luque and Vinings Cumberland/ Luque discussed reaching additional outlying communities
• 2022 - Vinings Cumberland Rotary presented the idea of scaling the project to District 6900 Foundation Chair and was told the project was valid to pursue a Global Grant and the creative direction in which Rotary is moving.
• 2022 - Nueva Italia, Paraguay, school community member expressed the same issues and needs to Luque Rotary.
• 2022 - Luque Rotary members traveled to Nueva Italia to hear needs of all schools
• 2023 - Each school provided a letter to Luque Rotary documenting the issues
• 2023 - Planned Global Grant for 15 schools based on 100% match from World Fund
• 2023 - Replan and remove 2 schools (reduce budget to $30K) to reduce for Rotary World Fund match of 80%
• 2023 – Provided additional documentation requested by Rotary International, Diane Lopez. Forms completed and added to Global Grant 1) Cooperating Organization Memorandum of Understanding 2) Global Grants Community Assessment Results 3) Global Grant Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Supplement 4) Training Plan for Global Grants (Also reviewed as requested: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Guidelines for Global Grant Funding )
• 2023 – Diane Lopez offered to review updated Global Grant. Documents added and Review requested on November 1 st and December 11 th
• 2023 – Authorizations Requested
• 2024 – Grant Approved
• 2025 – Fountains delivered to schools in Nueva Italia and Luque, Paraguay
Link to Video
Partner Involvement
Rotary Club of Luque Paraguay https://www.facebook.com/rotary.clubluque