Missouri Guard prepares to install water purification systems in Panama

Rotary District 6080 members deliver well-women kits to women in panama. The district 6080 raised funds to purchase water purification systems, well-baby kits and hand-powered transportation vehicles to donate to Panama. The Missouri National Guard plans to install the systems in March of this year. (Submitted photo).

By Sgt. Sarah E. Lupescu
ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri National Guard's state partnership program is working with local Rotaries to install two water purification systems in Panama.

Rotary clubs within Rotary District 6080, which covers central Missouri, raised funds to purchase the water purification systems, to donate to Panama. The Missouri National Guard plans to install the systems in March of this year. They also donated well-baby kits and hand-powered transportation vehicles.

"We have done similar water purification system projects like this in the past," said Lt. Col. Rebecca Segovia, the Missouri State Partnership director. "We're looking forward to doing another project like this."

The water purification systems will prove to be beneficial to Panama's citizens, and each system will provide water for 10,000 citizens in the vicinity.

"The systems mean pure water," said Jim Wieberg, the Chairman of the District's Panama Project Committee said. "Much of their water system is pretty primitive. We're providing a system that will address the needs of the villages so that the schools, hospitals and people will have water fit for human consumption."

The District and Panama Rotary International of District 4240 signed a memorandum of understanding in the fall of 2011 with the Missouri National Guard mentioned as a key facilitator and coordination partner. The agreement formalizes the relationship for the purpose of providing opportunities for the Rotary clubs of District 6080 to support international service projects that benefit the needy of the Republic of Panama, in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Panama.

"Rotary 6080 did the heavy lifting on this project, but the Missouri National Guard is now partnered with both rotaries and will continue to work together in future initiatives, such as installing the water purification systems," said Segovia.

The items donated by the rotary districts were transported to Panama by Project Handclasp. Project Handclasp is an outreach program by the United States Navy.

"We are certainly grateful to the adjutant general and Lt. Col. Segovia for their support and working with us as a team," Wieberg said. "We would have never been able to do any of this without the Guard."

The Panamanian rotary will oversee the installation.

The Missouri National Guard officially became Panama's state partner in 1996 and has since conducted over 26 overseas Deployment for training missions and over 66 State Partnership Program events.

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