Update [november 2021]
Water and toilets and hygiene still require a lot of attention. Although more and more attention and initiatives are being developed, these topics still remain at the top of the priority list. Tree for Hope is including this in its current projects.
The problem is too big to be tackled by our foundation as we like it to be. In particular, the lack of knowledge of hygiene plays a role here. We have donated various types of water filters and every time encounter incorrect or no maintenance and care of the filters. This part has now been placed in our focus area of education. First to the teaching staff, who can then put it into practice together with the children. When building a school, hut or other accommodation, much attention is paid to this part and included in the agreement.
Current Help and problems
We are confronted with various problems and we are looking for a solution together.
- The collected water is not sufficient in the event of a major drought (donations needed for new solutions).
- Pumps cannot be built because of the lack of groundwater. (several drilling has already been done)
- Water from the reservoir or canal is unsuitable as drinking water.
- Children who have to walk for 1 hour in the heat need good and sufficient drinking water.
- Water filters that are currently used are unsuitable, require too much maintenance and are broken within a few months.
- Impossible to boil the water for all children first. (Alternatives are being sought)
Initial situation
Especially in the remote areas it is urgently necessary to organize clean drinking water and sanitary facilities. Some regions are still without water supply. The local people can only survive when they get water from the nearest lake and process it. The quality of the water, however, is very poor and does not meet the conditions for good drinking water.
Children who sometimes have to walk to school in over 40 degrees for up to one hour, can not take as much water as they need. A water supply and hygienic facilities are therefore an absolute focus for our work from 2015 onwards.
The goal is to provide a better hygienic standard (including washing hands) and to provide the children with sufficient drinking water of a good quality. For this goal we also started courses for the children, and we organize informative days.
our current work
We have already begun producing drinking water for more than 800 children and have already partially completed the classes at the small school in Pong Toek and neighboring schools. Our attempts to build a well did not work out unfortunately, because of the bad underground water situation. The alternative was to build water reservoirs in which rainwater is collected during the rainy season. Here we bought and installed appropriate systems for the schools.
Apart from this, we donate water filters to be placed in the classroom. Water is also collected for the toilets. However, these are often not used or rarely used by the children, due to water scarcity. Therefore the 800 children usually do their “business” in the nearby fields and nature. Here we are looking for suitable solutions.
We are currently working on an education program both on hygiene and health. Part of this course will be about the way to keep the environment clean. All kinds of waste, but plastic in the first place, are a big problem here in Cambodia. The school has already received a few rubber trash cans as a donation.
We also visited the HIV self-help groups with the PWHO and made an inventory to find out which families are in need of drinking water, water filters or sanitation. Clean drinking water and sanitation in particular are very important to these vulnerable groups of people.
Here we have equipped some families with water filters and partly supported them with water supplies. Other families are still waiting for urgent support and help.
Current help and problems
We are currently facing the following problems and are looking for solutions together
- Collected water is not sufficient (donations needed for new water solution)
- Well impossible due to ground water supply (holes were already made)
- Water from the lake or the channel doesn’t have drinking water quality
- Some children have a 1 hour walk to school and need drinking water
- Previous water filters not ideal due to maintenance and vulnerability (we are looking for alternatives)
