Congratulations to David Pearson of the Rotary Club of Sherborne Castles who has won the Times Sternberg Active Life Award for his work in Uganda and Malawi. David is the sixth winner of the award, which was set up by the philanthropist Sir Sigmund Sternberg to recognise the dedication and contribution to society of those over 70 years old who work for good causes.
Following retirement from his career as an engineer, test pilot and British Airways pilot, David accompanied his wife Marjorie to Uganda where she was working for VSO. Within days of their arrival, David was recruited by UNICEF as a projects officer. He never looked back, remaining there for two years working in refugee camps in the war torn country.
For the last three years, David and Marjorie have made annual trips to Malawi to work on community based initiatives in the area of Blantyre. David noticed that the villagers there had to walk over 10 kilometres to the nearest mill to grind their maize and five kilometres to find water which was often polluted.
David set to work to solve these problems, designing and overseeing the construction of a maize mill and rainwater storage tanks. To implement these life changing projects, his Rotary club raised £3,000 for the construction work and further support came from the Rotary Foundation.
The funds were used to buy materials and David organised local labour to build the mill and two rainwater storage tanks. The rainwater harvesting system takes water from the roof of the mill during the rainy season and has a capacity to store 30,000 litres. It was completed in early 2013 and employs four local people. The mill also generates a profit which is used to support local orphans and older people who no longer have families to help them.
David plans to spend his £5,000 prize money on building a footbridge over the river which will allow children to carry on going to school during the rainy season.
