Update Adopt a Village Laos

THIS MEETING IS ON ZOOM - NO INPERSON MEETING THIS DATE

Steve Rutledge is President of AAVIL (Adopt a Village in Laos), Rotarian on the International Committee with the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise, recipient of two Port Hope Civic Awards, the most recent in 2011 for Philanthropy, is a recipient of two Paul Harris Awards and The Spirit of Rotary Award.  In 2016 Steve was awarded the Family and Community Award by the Rotary Club of Courtice.  In June 2020, Mr. Rutledge was awarded the Bob Scott Disease Prevention Award from Rotary District 7070.

Steve was co-owner of a medium-sized computer firm for 22 years. Steve has served on several boards and committees including the municipal Culture Committee, Skatepark Committee, Capitol Theatre Board, Canadian Spinal Research, and others.

The Rotary Club of Ladner and our members have been long time supporters of Adopt a Village Laos.

AAVIL’s focus is to provide a permanent supply of water to villages without and provide water filtration with hygiene training to each family.  The permanent water supplies include a dam and several km of pipe (or a well is drilled depending on the area), plus a water tank and taps throughout the village. The results are astounding.  The villagers now spend more productive time in their rice fields, rather than water collection wherever they can find it.  Without diarrhea caused by water borne bacteria, rice yields are higher due to more time looking after their crops, more students are going to school because they are not sick from poor water, infant mortality has dropped, and there is often disposable income, where there had been none before.  The lifespan among the villagers has also increased.