This project will provide the poorest of the poor in rural Cambodia with water: life's most basic need. Access to clean water assures a healthier livelihood. Access to a sufficient water source improves agricultural practices for increased production for sufficient food security and income generation, resulting in community development and economic progress. In 7 years over 100,000 people now have access to clean water through the distribution of bio-sand water filters.
Rural communities in Siem Reap province have limited water access, subsistence agriculture production, very low incomes, limited health care, and few job opportunities due to illiteracy and lack of skills. One of the most telling indicators for a lack of development is water access, food security, nutrition, and health status of the people. Trailblazer addresses these problems by helping them secure access to clean and sufficient water and teaching them improved agricultural techniques.
This project will solve these problems because we will provide villagers with clean water to drink, improved health conditions, an ample year-round water supply, and increased yields of produce for meeting their family's needs with excess for sale. Home vegetable gardens have been successfully carried out by extremely poor families improving food security and nutrition. Once these basic needs are met there is evidence of internally generated economic progress activity.
We will accomplish a better quality of life by drilling wells, installing bio-sand water filters, teaching improved agriculture practices, and networking with health organizations. As the basic need of water is satisfied, Trailblazer works with village leadership to establish or enhance the village committee structure to address further community development. These leaders ultimately take over the management and sustainability of projects with little to no need for ongoing international aid.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
