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32 LOCAL NEWS AWEMainta Diahuebs, 28 September 2023

Project Announcement:

Water Cooler in Schools Initiative in Aruba

THE Water Cooler Project, overseen by The Rotary Club of
Aruba, drew inspiration from the pioneering efforts of The

Interact Club of Colegio Arubano. The Interact Club took
the lead by initiating the Water Cooler in Schools project, on
March 22, 2021, World Water Day, with the installation and
inauguration of the FIRST water cooler at Colegio Arubano.

This innovative project is designed to benefit students
aged 4-18 years across Aruba, with the overarching goal
of providing access to clean and revitalizing drinking water
in all 75 schools, thereby fostering a healthier and more

sustainable community.

To date, 19 water coolers have been installed in various
schools across Aruba. Currently, many schools are buying

bags of ice several times a week and storing these in freezers
to cool water. , With the Water Cooler Project, this practice
is slowly but surely being eliminated significantly enhancing
the efficiency of distributing clean, chilled water.

An important advantage of this initiative lies in its objective
to combat obesity within the community. By encouraging
the consumption of clean, cool water as a much healthier

alternative to sugary beverages, the project aligns with
broader health objectives. It also plays a crucial role in the
areas of disease prevention and treatment, especially in
reducing the risk of transmitting bacteria (such as COVID-

19). Additionally, the project promotes child health, and
enhances environmental sustainability by reducing the use
of (disposable) plastic water bottles.

Despite the continued success of this project, our primary
ongoing challenge revolves around sourcing these units
locally at favorable prices. However, the realization of this
initiative has been made possible through the generous spon-

sorship and steadfast support of our sister clubs, including
the Rotary Club of Curacao, Rotary Club of Willemstad,
Rotary Club of Bonaire, Rotary Club of Kentville (Canada),
Rotary Club of Moncton West and Riverview (Canada), and

District 7030. We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude
to Bon Bini Cargo for their invaluable assistance in trans-
porting the units, a critical factor in achieving project mile-
stones. The Rotary Club of Aruba invites the public to join in

This impactful project is led by a dedicated committee from preserving these water coolers for the benefit of our chil-
the Rotary Club of Aruba, including our sincere Don de dren, ensuring access to clean and refreshing drinking water
Veer, Orlando Hoevertsz, Lufrido Croes, Ravee Nandwani, for a healthier future.
Geert Rep, and Frederick Nuboer. Their commitment and

consistency have been instrumental in driving this project’s For more information, please contact https://rotarycluba-
success. ruba.org