Construct water wells for Cambodian villages

In March 2017, with funding support from Lotus Outreach International, the Cambodian Organization for Children and Development provided one pump well to 15 poor households who had limited access to a year-round water source for daily consumption in Trapeang Mnas village, Dong Tung Commune, Dog Tung District, Kampot Province. Below is a project report about Mrs. Touch, a Getting Well recipient and a widowed mother and guardian.

Head of household, Mrs. Touch, has two children and fosters one nephew. Her family lives in Trapeang Mnas village, Dong Tung Commune, Dong Tung District, Kampot Province. Mrs. Touch makes a living by farming during the rainy season and planting small crops around the house as well as raising some chickens at home.

To help make ends meet, Mrs. Touch’s first daughter became a teacher at Wat Angsvay Primary School while still living at home. Her second daughter dropped out at of school in sixth grade and went to work in a garment factory in Phnom Penh.

Before the Getting Well Project established a well near Mrs. Touch's home, she faced the difficulty of carrying water four times per day from a pond far away from her house which took her a half an hour each way (a total of two hours a day spent fetching water). Mrs. Touch stated, “Before having a pumping well close to home, I used to spend a lot of time carrying water from the pond and it wasted my time for making money to support my family.” She continued “My nephew is in grade 11 and he could not go to school on time sometimes because he had to help with collecting water. He went to school late at least 1 or 2 days a week.”

Accessing a quality water source is a challenge in the drought prone regions of Cambodia and one that creates a cascade of issues. There is visible dirt in the ponds and streams during the rainy season and when it comes to the dry season, the water is shallow and contaminated due to cattle’s bathing/defecation. During February through May, the ponds and streams often dry up completely. “When the pond or nearby stream dried up, I had to either carry or transport water by bicycles or motorcycles from a private pumping well, approximately one kilometer from my home”, said Mrs. Touch. She added “My family experienced some health problems such as stomach aches, typhoid and diarrhea.”

The 15 poor households who are now benefiting from this new well are using this quality water for bathing, drinking, washing clothes, cooking and watering vegetables. Mrs. Touch has already noted changes within her own family, “I have noticed that my family has been enjoying a better health condition with no more stomach problem, typhoid and diarrhea after getting hygiene education (boiling water for drinking, washing hands with soap, and using latrine) from the program and having access to better quality water.” The happy mother continued, “I feel that now my family members are healthier than before, and my nephew can attend classes regularly too.”

Mrs. Touch would like to express her gratitude to Lotus Outreach International and their donors for providing clean and accessible water to her village that serves as an important source of clean water for her family. She promises to take responsibility to care for the well and use it properly and effectively.