Have you ever lacked water even for a day? How about walking several miles to get water without assurance that you will find it? You may not want to experience this but there are millions of people every day who don’t have access to clean water for their basic needs. Some of those in need can be found in Takeo province, Cambodia. Takeo, once known as Water Chenla due to its abundance of water during the rainy season, contains hundreds of families who suffer from a lack of safe drinking water.
From May 19 to 31, 2013, CWEF staff continued in their mission to open the floodgates of flowing-water through the Water Well Project in Toul Roka village along with 5 other villages in Takeo province. With continuous cooperation from local partners, eight pump-and-ring type water wells have been successfully installed to serve 64 underprivileged families who had to walk 1 to 2 kilometers to get water from the closest pond. The water pond is murky, contains many kinds of bacteria and parasites and is not suitable for drinking yet it served many families in the area. During the hot season, the pond would dry up leaving the local villagers without any water. Today, thanks to the new wells, clear flowing water serves the community year round.
Through the use of local experts, CWEF has gained much knowledge in the proper installation of wells and the education of the villagers. Following this plan, CWEF staff met with local partners and the water well contractor to decide where to locate the wells, what type of wells should be used, and how they could be installed. In addition to the installation of the wells, “safe water education and well maintenance” training was conducted for 5 individuals from the 6 villages so they can learn and pass on their education to the other families in the area. CWEF staff is working to empower local people with knowledge and skills to reach out to help their own communities.