Our Rotary club is proud to support the Colombian Water Filter Project, a Rotary Global Grant initiative providing 500 in-home biofilters to families living in informal neighborhoods around Cartagena, Colombia. These communities are home to displaced and vulnerable families, many surviving on less than \$2 per day and relying on contaminated open ponds for drinking water. By providing clean, safe water for more than 2,200 people, this project directly addresses Rotary’s area of service in water and sanitation while transforming lives through better health and opportunity.
We chose to support this project because it creates immediate and lasting impact. Each filter has a 30-year lifespan and is owned by the family, paired with hygiene and sanitation training for the entire community. Clean water means healthier children, fewer medical costs, and more time for families to work and learn. It also reduces reliance on costly bottled water and helps eliminate waste plastic from the environment. The project builds on previous successful Rotary efforts, with local families trained and employed to manufacture and service the filters—ensuring sustainability and creating new livelihoods.
This initiative is supported by Opportunity International, a trusted humanitarian partner with 50 years of experience in Colombia, and led locally by Rotarians and community leaders. With matching funds from District 5950 and The Rotary Foundation, every dollar invested stretches further. Our club is proud to stand alongside Rotary partners in Colombia and abroad, working together to deliver one of life’s most basic needs: clean water.
