Construct water wells for Cambodian villages

The 4 to 5 month Cambodian rainy season is almost over. We managed to implement 6 wells earlier in 2017 and we are now identifying 6 to 8 high need, water critical locations to implement wells in remote, rural Kampot Province of Cambodia for this coming dry season.

So in the mean time we’d like to reflect on why we are asking for your support to run this program and to celebrate the fact it’s been ten years since we initiated Lotus Outreach Cambodia’s ‘Getting Well Program,' during which we have established 68 Pump Wells providing precious, potable water to some 8,000 villagers at a cost of around $100,000.

We have witnessed hopefulness, gratefulness, humility, sheer relief and every other emotion amongst villagers we have worked with to establish sustainable water resources in Cambodia these past ten years. Even so, it’s sometimes important to revisit and communicate to those that continue to donate funds to this program that a lot still remains to be done.

From a total population of 14.8 million, some 6.3 million Cambodians don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. 60% of rural Cambodians are without clean drinking water. 40% of primary schools and 35% of health centres are also without clean drinking water and sanitation.[1]

Some 3.9 million of those without access to safe drinking water in Cambodia are poor and live in rural areas. Without safe water and adequate sanitation and hygiene, children (41 per cent of the population) are especially vulnerable to water-borne diseases.[2] 

“Attention to rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene will unquestionably deliver results - less child deaths, better learning at school, less disease, more productive workers, less health costs for the people and the system. These services are central to Cambodia’s future as a middle income country, ” said Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative of Cambodia (ibid).

Getting Well continues to deliver education on sanitation and hygiene to Getting Well communities which plays a critical role in reducing child mortality rates, especially given that diarrhea is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of five in Cambodia. Rural communities benefit further from reduced incidences of extremely debilitating and expensive to treat water borne diseases such as typhoid.  Regular bacterial stomach infections that previously impacted these communities have also been reduced, increasing education attendance and overall wellbeing.

Please assist us to accelerate this program toward implementation of 100 Wells! 68 done and 32 to go!! 

[1] http://access-water.org/countries/cambodia/

[2] https://www.unicef.org/cambodia/12681_22270.html