Lack of access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities - along with poor hygiene - are among the leading causes of childhood death in the developing world. Many health problems such as typhoid, dysentery and malaria are easily preventable and treatable. By constructing water wells that serve entire villages in the drought-prone regions of Cambodia and by teaching the communities about the importance of health and sanitation, Lotus Outreach is empowering these communities.
Only 45% of Cambodia's rural population has access to improved drinking water sources, leaving the remaining 55% vulnerable to life-threatening infectious disease-with children under 5 at the greatest risk. Lack of access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities - along with poor hygiene - remain among the leading causes of childhood death in the developing world.
Lotus Outreach's approach to this problem is to construct deep bore water wells that serve entire villages in the drought-prone regions of rural Cambodia as well as spread knowledge on preventative healthcare practices that include hand-washing to reproductive health. The program implements two different types of pumps to solve this problem. The UNICEF model benefits areas with soft ground, and close to the surface ground water. The AFRIDEV model serves villages with more difficult terrain.
Each well that we construct will provide clean, safe drinking water to an average of 75 rural villagers. By providing clean and safe drinking water, these wells reduce water-borne illnesses and drastically reduce economic burdens on poor families. The long-term effects of these wells enable villagers to grow vegetables during the dry season, and allow more children to stay in school.
