DG Bob Ross on Susan

Our task was to build latrines for families in that village. Susan had a real passion for helping others and she was excited about being a part of this effort. For my part I had a concern about the construction skills of Susan and some of the other women. Susan and I were actually part of the same five person work group. At the first job site we all struggled to learn construction techniques that were not familiar to us, such as notching a 4" x 6" board not with a powered circular saw but with a machete. Another challenge was nailing corrugated steel sheets with large galvanized nails; the nails just seemed to bounce off the ridge of the steel panels. I quickly learned that the guys had just as much trouble learning how to build latrines as the women. Susan tried her hand at every task. Soon she found her niche. Susan was really good at nailing flat aluminum sheets to the door frames. At each job site we would build the door frame and Susan would set to work nailing the aluminum panels to the frame. As a result many of the families will touch Susan's work every day as they open or close the door to their family's outhouse. One could say that her work offers privacy and dignity to many in the community of Los Higos. Hopefully, her lasting smile and caring for people has left a legacy among those lives that we touched in Los Higos, in her Rotary Club and in her community. It was my privilege to have known Susan and to experience her passion for life. Bob Ross, DG, District 7170