By Mandy Qua | CWEF Volunteer
Solang, who is 44 years old, lives in Veal Pring village in Kampong Thom province of central Cambodia. Here, she stays with her second husband, Chamroen, who is 36. During her first marriage, she had three children who are now all married and have their own homes. Now, Solang also lives with a three-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter.
Other than farming, Solang’s husband goes fishing every evening in order to support his family. During the cassava season, he works for the Vietnam Cassava Plantation Company, located 100 kilometers away from his home. As a result, he is only able to visit his family every two to three weeks. While Chamroen is out working, Solang has to get up at 4 am every day in order to cook pork porridge and Cambodian noodle soup to sell in the mornings.
Solang lives alone with her two kids while her husband is out working during the cassava season. During this time, she used to have to go to her neighbor’s well in order to get water for her family for cooking vegetables and to drink. Solang often did not boil the water before she and her children drank it because it was more convenient for them. She said “The water is transparent, so I thought it would be safe to consume. We are all especially tired, and boiling the water takes up more time. However, my family and especially my kids often got sick from diarrhea and other diseases.”
Now, Solang is relieved of these burdens. Since then, she has dug her own well in 2015 and received a BioSand Water Filter from CWEF in early 2017. This made Solang very happy since her family now has easier access to safe drinking water. Through the BioSand Water Filter that CWEF was able to provide for Solang and her family, she can now dedicate more time and energy to her various jobs—growing vegetables, breeding poultry, and taking care of her children. Solang is very grateful to CWEF and hopes that this project continues to receive support in order for others to gain easier access to safe drinking water and live healthier lives with greater hope for their futures.
Looking into the future, we hope to reach even more families in Solang’s community with the precious and transformative gift of clean water. Please consider another generous donation today: $100 provides clean water for an entire family.
In addition to the Biosand Water Filters, CWEF trains families in proper maintenance of their filter, along with education on proper sanitation and hygiene, and its effect on disease prevention and overall health. With proper care and maintenance, each water filter can provide a family with clean water for more than 20 years.
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