TPRF to Aid Water Purification in Horn of Africa

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) is contributing US$10,000 to provide safe, clean drinking water for three months to an estimated 20,000 people who have had to rely on dirty water from local ponds amid severe drought and famine in the Borena zone of Oromia, Ethiopia.

AmeriCares, a nonprofit global health and disaster relief organization, is overseeing the effort, which will reduce the incidence of waterborne illnesses for members of about 2,000 households in local communities suffering from starvation.

"The drought in the Horn of Africa has wrought untold suffering. TPRF is honored to be able to help by partnering with AmeriCares to address the issue of disease arising from contaminated water," said Linda Pascotto, TPRF president. The Horn of Africa is facing widespread food shortages in what has been described as the worst drought in the region in more than half a century. An estimated 13 million people in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. The United Nations is calling the situation "catastrophic."

"We are greatly appreciative of the support," said Ella R. Gudwin, vice president of emergency response for AmeriCares. "Indeed, the Horn of Africa famine has not attracted the kind of donor engagement that such a catastrophic event might otherwise engender. I believe people see anything related to Somalia as a lost cause, and many innocent people both in Somalia and the surrounding drought-affected countries continue to suffer. For this reason, we are especially thankful for this grant from TPRF and the sense of hope that it inspires in desperate circumstances."

Gudwin said the water purification will be accomplished by issuing sachets of PuR, a powder solution that removes many pollutants, viruses and bacteria, including cholera, from contaminated water. At the time packets are issued, Gudwin said, demonstrations and trainings are held for the community because, although using them is a simple process that takes only about 20 minutes, specific steps must be followed for the solution to be effective. Families receiving the sachets are also given buckets and clean cloth needed for the process.

About The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF)

The Prem Rawat Foundation promotes Prem Rawat's message of peace and his vision of addressing fundamental human needs so that people everywhere can live with dignity, peace and prosperity. For more information, visit: www.tprf.org.

SOURCE The Prem Rawat Foundation

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