Community Water Enterprise Archives - Page 2 of 3

Clean water sources critical amid Cambodia’s prolonged drought

31 May, 2016/in Clean Water Programmes, Community Water Enterprise, Field Notes /by Lien AID

Cambodia’s drought crisis

Exhausted drinking water supplies, cracked river beds, dead animal carcasses and ruined crops – a barren and desolate sight greets many Cambodians as the country is gripped by one of the worst droughts in decades.[1]

According to a recent Channel NewsAsia report, many regions in Cambodia have not received significant rain since late last year and about two-thirds of the country now has insufficient drinking water. One of the regions is Kampong Thom province, where locals shared that they have not recalled seeing heavy rain for about a year.[2]

Our upcoming intervention at Kampong Thom province

Clean water sources have become even more critical amid Cambodia’s drought crisis. Back in 2015, as part of our Cambodia three-year work plan, we identified Kampong Thom province as one of our key focus provinces.

We conducted needs assessments and baseline surveys in seven communes within Kampong Thom province between 22 February to 3 March this year and found that most of the respondents acknowledged to falling sick from drinking untreated water.

We have kicked off our Community Water Enterprise intervention in these seven communes in Kampong Thom province this month:

Kampong Kou commune, Kampong Svay district
Prey Kuy commune, Kampong Svay district
Koul commune, Prasat Sambou district
Sraeung commune, Prasat Sambou district
Chhuk commune, Prasat Sambou district
Mean Chey commune, Prasat Sambou district
Msar Krang commune, Stoung district

Stepping up on our CWE projects in Cambodia

In addition to our upcoming interventions in Kampong Thom province and Ta An commune in Siem Reap, we are also exploring viability of projects at Kratie and Stung Treng provinces. Both are located along the Mekong River and the Provincial Department of Rural Development (PDRP) reported only 48% and 49.5% of families with access to improved water supply in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces respectively. Some of these local communities also face:

Risk of exposure to arsenic-contaminated water
Limited access to treated drinking water
Lack of piped water supply
Low water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices

Join us now to work together towards a common vision – better water governance and a future where clean water access is available to everyone. You can also learn more about our work in Cambodia here.

References

[1] Crothers, L. (2016, 05 05). Animals die as Cambodia is gripped by worst drought in decades. Retrieved from The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/may/05/animals-die-cambodia-worst-drought-decades

[2] Board, J. (2016, 05 18). Desperation grows as drought grips Cambodia. Retrieved from Channel News Asia: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/desperation-grows-as/2792150.html

World Water Day and Lien AID in 2016

22 March, 2016/in Community Water Enterprise, Field Notes, Others /by Lien AID

Observing World Water Day 2016

22 March marks the annual international observance of World Water Day where we learn more about water related issues, be inspired to share and take action to make a difference.

As we look forward to learning from the United Nations World Water Development Report that is launching on 22 March, we are taking this opportunity to share our recent Community Water Enterprise (CWE) project handover to the communities in Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia, last Wednesday, 16 March 2016.

Handover of CWE project to communities in Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia

This CWE project was implemented in partnership with Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) and Asian Development Bank (ADB). MRD and ADB had improved access to clean water with the development of community ponds, wells and rainwater jars previously. Lien AID joined the partnership and worked with Provincial Department of Rural Development, local authorities and commune councils to set up water treatment plants to enhance the quality of drinking water, as well as to train new Water Management Committees and water entrepreneurs, in both Phnom Dei and Bos Sbov Communes.

New water entrepreneur, Mr Bo Saroum, 25 years old, shared, “This business teaches me about the production of treated water and water distribution system. Villagers can now have clean bottled water at affordable prices and I can also look forward to earning more income to support my family.”

Under this CWE project, these water entrepreneurs will be serving and selling clean affordable bottled water to 15,000 villagers.

Ms Tark Sanith purchased clean bottled water at the handover event in Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia, on 16 March 2016.

One of the villagers, Ms Tark Sanith, 41 years old, who attended the handover event said, “This treated water will prevent my children from getting water-related illnesses and I would no longer need to boil water before drinking.”

Lien AID in 2016

2016 marks Lien AID’s 10th year in enabling sustainable access to clean water and sanitation for rural poor in Asia. This year, we are focusing our efforts on:

Expanding our programmes for 120,000 new beneficiaries in 47 communities across four countries – Cambodia, China, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Enhancing programme and technical support for Monitoring & Evaluation of our projects.
Increasing public awareness on the issue of clean water and sanitation in Asia, as well as Lien AID’s mission.

Back in January, we shared some of the groundwork completed for upcoming projects in China, Vietnam and Myanmar. In Northeast Vietnam, we have since completed our Phase II research in four villages in Bac Quang and Vi Xuyen Districts and we are starting our pilot projects in two of these villages this month.

Stay tune as we share significant learnings and milestones from these pilot projects in Northeast Vietnam, as well as our 8th batch of Village Water Management (VWM) programme in China, pilot project in Tetma village, Magwe division, Myanmar and CWE projects in Cambodia in the coming months!

A Small Price to Pay for Better Health

15 October, 2015/in Clean Water Programmes, Community Stories, Community Water Enterprise /by Lien AID

Mr. Touch and his wife at their home in Preak Koy Village

Preak Koy Village, Preak Koy Commune
Cambodia

“When I was a boy we drank river water without boiling it and didn’t get sick.” said Mr. Touch Bunthorn, a resident of Preak Koy Commune in Cambodia. “During the Pol Pot regime people began to get sick from drinking river water, so we started boiling the water before drinking it.” Mr. Touch and the families in his commune continued boiling water for decades. Like many families in their commune, the Touch family used forest wood as fuel and spent up to six hours per week gathering wood from the surrounding woods.

Mr. Touch and his family of ten live in a traditional elevated house along the banks of the Mekong River in Cambodia. Mr. Touch and his family, vegetable merchants in a nearby market, sit down at a massive wooden table to tell their story. Lim Heng and Ly Meng, wearing matching red and blue shorts, play and stare during the conversation.

After the UNICEF funded community water treatment plant opened in November, 2014, Mr. Touch’s family began drinking from 20-litre bottles of treated water. “We save time now because we don’t have to gather wood to boil the water. My family can use that time to work, study or relax instead. My grandsons no longer wake up in the mornings with stomach pain.” said Mr. Touch.

Lim Heng and Ly Meng, age six

Mr. Touch told us that before drinking treated water, his grandsons, six year old twins Lim Heng and Ly Meng, woke up in the mornings complaining of stomach aches. After they began drinking treated water their stomach aches have gone away. We asked Lim Heng, age six, about the stomach pain and he was hesitant to talk. He did point to his stomach when we asked him to show us where the pain was, and he told us that it’s gone away now.

“The treated water has improved my whole family’s health. I prefer the taste and color of the treated water and that it is consistently the same quality.” Mr. Touch said. “I also like that I can go to the treatment plant at any time. Some other people here sell water but I never know how they treat it. In this community I can take a look for myself.”

Mr. Touch said that he feels confident that he is buying treated water from his Community Water Entrepreneur. While there are other local water vendors, Mr. Touch mentioned that he is concerned that it may come from untreated well water.

Mr. Touch’s household of ten people purchases about ten bottles of treated water per month. At 1,000 Cambodian Riel per bottle, a 20-litre bottle of water from the community water treatment plant costs one quarter of that sold in the local market.

Mr. Hav Lay, Community Water Entrepreneur

After talking with Mr. Touch, we met with Mr. Hav Lay, Preak Koy Commune’s Community Water Entrepreneur. Mr. Lay told us that back in November his treatment plant sold only about 300 bottles per month but that over the past five months his sales have increased sevenfold to almost 2,000 bottles per month. “I’m thankful for this job because it gives me a more predictable income supply than I had before I’m hoping that in the future I can get a trailer so that we can deliver water directly to houses.” said Mr. Lay.

This project in Preak Koy commune, implemented under the Community Water Enterprise programme in Cambodia, was supported with co-funding from UNICEF Cambodia

More Time to Farm

30 September, 2015/in Clean Water Programmes, Community Stories, Community Water Enterprise /by Lien AID

Mrs Chorn Sina and her husband in their home in Pak Nam Village

Pak Nam Village, Pong Ro Commune
Cambodia

Mrs. Chorn Sina and her husband are tobacco farmers in Pak Nam Village, a rural community of just over 1,000 families along Touch River in Pong Ro Commune, Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. A UNICEF funded Community Water Treatment Plant opened in Pak Nam Village in November, 2014. Before the plant opened, Mrs. Chorn and her husband had to gather firewood from a nearby forest to boil their water.

“Gathering wood to boil water took us several hours every week so we spent less time working on our farm and with our family.” Said Mrs. Chorn. Now Mrs. Chorn and her family of three, including her husband and ten year old daughter, buy four to five bottles of treated water every week. The bottles cost 1,000 Riel each. “We think it’s worth the time savings to buy water instead of boiling water and we tell our friends to do the same.” said Mrs. Chorn.

During the harvest season, Mrs. Chorn’s family plans to buy even more water, about one bottle every day, so that she can provide clean drinking water for their hired labour. Along with buying water for workers, Mrs. Chorn tells her friends and family that the water makes her feel healthier than boiled river or well water.

“We like that we can inspect the water treatment plant at any time,” said Mrs. Chorn, “It makes us feel confident that what we buy is not just untreated well water.”

Mrs. Si Mean showing the bottles of treated water

Inside the Community Water Treatment plant works Mrs. Si Mean, Pong Ro commune’s Community Water Entrepreneur. Covered under a pink plastic sheet are dozens of 20-litre bottles, filled with water that has just been treated.

Mrs. Si keeps detailed handwritten notes on bottle sales every day. Over the three weeks leading up to our visit, Mrs. Si’s notes indicate that she sold an average of 71 bottles of treated water per day and generated about 525 USD in revenue. As with Mrs. Chorn’s family, Community Water Entrepreneur Mrs. Si was also a tobacco farmer before taking on her new role. “We sell about 2,100 20-litre bottles of water every month,” said Mrs. Si, “but I hope that will continue to grow because we can generate four times as much water.”

Handwritten sales records

Indeed, although sales are strong for Mrs. Si, only 15% of families in Paknam Village buy water from the Community Water Treatment Plant today. Commune Chief Mr. Khim Porteang is happy with the sales so far but thinks they could grow. “We think the progress is good so far but I would like if all families bought water from the plant.” said Mr. Khim.

A few of the villagers we talked with do not buy water from the Community Water Treatment Plant. These included a family with a rainwater collection tank, a family with an arsenic-free well near their home and a family which gathers and sells firewood as a business – they already had a large pile of firewood available and said they don’t mind spending extra time gathering wood for themselves.

This project in Pong Ro commune, implemented under the Community Water Enterprise programme in Cambodia, was supported with co-funding from UNICEF Cambodia

Keeping Children in School in Koah Roka

15 September, 2015/in Clean Water Programmes, Community Stories, Community Water Enterprise /by Lien AID

Schoolchildren in Koah Rokar village where schools receive 10 free 20-litre bottles of treated water per day.

Chrey Thmei Village, Koah Roka Commune
Cambodia

Koah Roka is a commune of 508 families just a few kilometers from the Vietnam border. Carts drawn by water buffalo move along the dirt road that runs into Vietnam, arriving empty into Cambodia and leaving heavily laden with bags of rice. Along this main dirt road there are three schools and a community health center.

A Community Water Treatment plant opened here in March 2015 and two of the schools now use the treated water from the plant, with the remaining one using a donated rainwater storage system. In the few months since the opening of the plant, 82% of the families in the commune are also now regularly purchasing treated water.

Mr. Nhen Bunthorn, Community Water Entreprenuer in Koah Roka commune, Prey Veng Commune Cambodia. Mr. Nhen has expanded his business by buying this delivery truck so he can deliver water to households and schools himself.

Mr. Nhen Bunthorn, Community Water Entreprenuer in Koah Roka commune, Prey Veng Province Cambodia. Mr. Nhen has expanded his business by buying this delivery truck so he can deliver water to households and schools himself.

Teacher Mrs. Choup Sida credits the Community Water Treatment plant with helping students focus more in class. “We never had treated water at our school before the Community Treatment Plant opened because a bottle of water from Vietnam costs 12,000 Dong (about 0.55 USD) and we could not afford it. We wanted a water storage tank but they are very expensive and only one school in this commune has had one donated.”

Inside Mrs. Choup’s classroom, a 20-litre bottle of water sits at the front of the class. Students in Mrs. Choup’s classroom, as with other classrooms in Koah Roka, can get up to drink water when they need to during a break in class. “Before the CWE, students had to either bring water from home or drink water from storage jars in the neighborhood. It took extra time and became disruptive. Students would leave school just to get water. Now my students can stay at school longer to either focus on work or talk with each other

Schoolchildren in Kaoh Rokar village.

Mrs. Choup has also noticed a decrease in students skipping classes due to diarrhoea and other illnesses. The chief of the nearby commune health center, Dr. Long Choum, previously saw about 8 to 10 cases of diarrhoea related illness every day before the CWE opened. Now he sees only two or three. Since the CWE has only been open for four months, he expects that the biggest impact is yet to come.

Mr. Long Choum, commune health center chief.

“The biggest change will come once the rainy season arrives” said Dr. Long, “When the commune floods many of the toilets are not elevated above ground — it is too expensive. The flood water will overflow the toilets and make the flood water not safe to drink. Then we will see big health benefits from having so many people drink treated water.”

This project in Koah Roka commune, implemented under the Community Water Enterprise programme in Cambodia, was supported with co-funding from UNICEF Cambodia

Affordable Water Eases The Burden of Poverty

30 August, 2015/in Clean Water Programmes, Community Stories, Community Water Enterprise /by Lien AID

Mrs. Yong Pom and her grandchildren. Before the Community Water Treatment plant opened Mrs. Yong spent $10-15 per month on medicine. Now she spends far less than that on treated water.

Beung Khaik Village, Peam Meanchey Commune
Cambodia

Mrs. Yong Pom used to spend about 10 to 15 USD every time one of her grandchildren got sick. Their illnesses, mostly diarrhoea caused by unsafe drinking water, would require four to five doses of medicine. Drinking water, imported from nearby Vietnam, costs 2,500 Riel (about 0.55 USD) per 20-litre bottle and they could not afford to drink it regularly.

Peam Meanchey commune where Mrs Yong Pom lives, is on an island approximately 80km from Phnom Penh. Her children work in garment factories in the city and send home what they can to help Mrs. Yong care for their children while they are away. Despite this income, Mrs. Yong’s family is living in poverty (according to Cambodia’s ID Poor programme).

In March 2015 the UNICEF funded Community Water Treatment plant opened in Peam Meanchey commune and now an affordable 20-litre bottle of treated water can be purchased for just 1,000 Riel (about 0.25 USD) from a storefront just a kilometer away from Mrs Yong’s house. “This affordable supply of water lets me provide my grandchildren with something safe to drink. I’m grateful that we can now drink clean water and get sick less often. We spend less money on treated water than we spent before on medicine alone.” Said Mrs. Yong.

This project in Peam Meanchey commune, implemented under the Community Water Enterprise programme in Cambodia, was supported with co-funding from UNICEF Cambodia

Giving My Grandchildren A Better Future

13 August, 2015/in Clean Water Programmes, Community Stories, Community Water Enterprise /by Lien AID

Children from the local school play underneath the Community Water Treatment Plant

Chheu Teal Village, Peam Chileang Commune
Cambodia

Before becoming their commune’s Community Water Entreprenuers, Mrs. Im Koyhour and her husband Mr. Yan Yoeun were farmers. Farming didn’t give them a predictable income supply: “We only had income from one or two harvests per year and it was unpredictable. This job provides us with a steady income.” Mrs. Im said.

The Community Treatment Plant opened in November 2014, with co-funding from the Prince Albert II of Monaco foundation. Business has been stronger than expected and as a result Mrs. Im took a loan from a local bank to buy more 20-litre bottles for new customers. Today, she is contemplating whether she should add a ledge under the treatment plant to create additional storage space for the bottles, so that they do not take up precious floor space within the plant. Mrs. Im walked us around the space beneath the treatment plant, pointing to where she plans to install the shelf.

Community Water Treatment Plant in Peam Chileang Village

She told us that the greatest joy she had from operating the plant was being able to earn enough care for her grandchildren as their parents (Mrs Im’s children) were too poor to do so. Sitting on the raised floor of Mrs. Im’s village house, we meet her grandchildren – 11 year old Pic Ta, 13 year old Van Rachana and 16 year old Van Chiva.

Mrs. Im Koy Hour, CWE and Family. Village Chheu Teal village, Peam Chileang Commune, Tbung Khmum Province Cambodia.

Pic Ta used to suffer from diarrhoea, typhoid, and dengue fever. Even compared with local Cambodian children, she is small for an eleven year old. Since moving in with her grandmother and drinking clean water, her health has improved dramatically. She used to miss school almost every week due to illness but now misses perhaps one day every other month. Brothers Van Rachana and Van Chiva also saw their grades and class attendance improve since they stopped suffering from typhoid and diarrhoea. Van Rachana’s class rank improved two spots from 20/41 to 18/41 while Van Chiva’s grades improved even more, moving eight spots from 28/40 to 20/40.

“People in my community still use well water to cook and clean but I think they understand now that for drinking they should drink treated water instead.” Mrs. Im told us.

This project in Peam Chileang commune, implemented under the Community Water Enterprise programme in Cambodia, was supported with co-funding from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Saved Labor Helps Mrs. Man Provide More Birth Control Education

6 July, 2015/in Clean Water Programmes, Community Stories, Community Water Enterprise /by Lien AID

Mrs. Man Ti Ma in her home where she runs a birth control and beauty supply business.

Pram Damleng Village, Peam Chileang Commune
Cambodia

Mrs. Man Ti Ma has something of an unconventional business and household, at least at first glance. While much of her income comes from family land that Mrs. Man rents out for growing rice, Mrs. Man’s main focus is on a beauty supply and family planning business in her local Muslim Cham community. Alongside beauty supplies, make up and hair dye Mrs. Man and her daughter provide education on natural family planning along with birth spacing pills, condoms, and pregnancy tests.

Unlike some of the other families in her community, Mrs. Man has long had enough money to buy wood to boil water. Before the Community Water Treatment plant was installed in her community Mrs. Man would buy wood, gather water, and spend time each day boiling the water to drink. The routine of making a fire and boiling water took away time from Mrs. Man’s family and her business.

“Not needing to boil water gives us time back to see customers and so business has improved. We give customers who show up the water to drink and they like it, leading some of them to buy it for their families. With increased income I can now give my son 5,000 Riel for food and allowance every day instead of 2,000 Riel before.” Mrs. Man said.

Mrs. Man is divorced and needs to care for her son and daughter alone. Any time spent on household chores took away time from her family and her business. Boiling water wasn’t a perfect solution either: Mrs. Man’s 15 year old son, Ei Amanas, still got sick about twice per month and missed school.

“With the treated water from the Community Water Treatment plant my family is healthier and my son doesn’t get sick anymore. I think that our skin looks better as well. I tell the women who come to me for beauty treatments to drink the water so that their skin will be healthy and clear.” Mrs. Ma said.

Now that her family spends less time acquiring water they spend more time on their businesses. Four to five customers per day arrive, many initially for beauty supplies, but some leave with either family planning education or condoms, birth spacing pills, or pregnancy tests.

Mrs. Man demonstrates a visual guide to natural family planning.

Among beauty supplies Mrs. Man’s family also sells condoms and birth spacing pills.

Mrs. Man is a member of the commune government and also spent five years as a member of the Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia. The RHAC educated Mrs. Man on how to train the local community about birth control. When the RHAC recently closed Mrs. Ma decided to continue the education on her own.

As outsiders we were initially uncomfortable asking Mrs. Ma about the birth control business when we saw the stocks of condoms and pills in her cabinets. Our assumptions made us think it might be a secretive business. This turns out not to be the truth at all: Mrs. Man’s community fully supports her role as an educator.

“The community doesn’t support abortion, but birth control is fine.” Mrs. Man told us.

While most visitors come for beauty supplies during the day, Mrs. Ma’s birth control business picks up at night: “People arrive late, even when the door is locked, if they need birth control urgently.” Mrs. Ma said with a laugh. “They bang on the door, and if we are home we help them, but we do wish they would plan ahead.” She continued.

This project in Peam Chileang commune, implemented under the Community Water Enterprise programme in Cambodia, was supported with co-funding from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Fifteen Completed Treatment Plants Transferred to Local Cambodians

7 April, 2015/in Clean Water Programmes, Community Stories, Community Water Enterprise /by Lien AID

On Thursday, March 26th Lien AID and UNICEF handed over 15 recently completed water treatment project sites at an event in Tbong Khmum province, Cambodia. The completed water treatment plants and associated infrastructure are now owned by the local communities.

The project sites in Prey Veng Province, Kampong Cham Province and Tbong Khmum Province were a collaboration between UNICEF and Lien AID and target approximately 72,000 people in 74 villages. The plants are administered by the local communes and operated by a Community Water Entrepreneur.

Approximately 500 villagers and 50 officials attended the handover including Cambodian commune chiefs, Tbong Khmum Provincial Governor Mr Prach Chan, Undersecretary of State His Excellency Theng Chan-Sangvar and the Minister from the Ministry of Rural Development His Excellency Chea Sophara.

At the event H.E. Chea stressed that charging for water is important so that people will use the water responsibly. H.E. Chea added that many of the local wells access water sources which are contaminated with arsenic, so even if people have access to water the main issue is that the existing water is not safe to drink.

UNICEF WASH chief Mr. Kabuka Banda highlighted that projects are a part of the UNICEF WASH programme arsenic mitigation response. Instead of gathering water, “women and girls who collect water for their families will save time for other chores including studying“ said Mr. Kabuka.

“We look forward to partnering with UNICEF again on the provisioning of sustainable clean water access as well as other WASH sector activities in Cambodia.” said Mr. Lian Hock, CEO of Lien AID.

A 20 litre bottle of water from the plants sells for 1,000 Cambodian Riel (about 25 cents), lower than the common 4,000 Riel cost in private markets. After the event in Pi Village, Kampong Treas commune the village water entrepreneur Mr. Math Ma El began selling water to villagers. The initial supply of 20 litre bottles sold out in about 45 minutes.

Cambodia’s Minister of Rural Development H.E. Chea Sophara cutting the ribbon at the opening of a new water treatment plant in Tbong Khmum province.

Cambodia’s Minister of Rural Development H.E. Chea Sophara sampling water from the recently completed treatment plant.

The project site’s initial supply of 20 litre water bottles quickly sold out.

Villagers carrying recently purchased water bottles away from the treatment plant.

Adopt a village for CSR

15 December, 2014/in Clean Water Programmes, Community Water Enterprise /by Lien AID

As Lien AID continues to engage corporates in different ways to achieve their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, it appears clear that there is a growing trend of the private sector engaging with the non-profit space, not just passively donating valuable resources but also by donating valuable skills through the active participation of their employees in these activities. Every company is different, and while the end-goal is the same (improving access to clean water for poor rural communities), it is our approach to work very closely with a company’s management, to build a CSR programme that is equally beneficial for its own CSR objectives.

In 2012, we were approached by BASF – The Chemical Company, interested to partner with us on a sustainable water project as part of a new BASF management trainee program in South East Asia . In order to provide employee engagement and development opportunities beyond corporate training, the new management trainees actively worked alongside Lien AID staff at all stages of the project cycle (needs assessment, project implementation, post project sustainability assessment) over a course of 6 months to develop a Lien AID designed community-based water social enterprise (CWE) at a small Cambodian floating village, in need of an improved access to clean, affordable drinking water. In addition, a health and hygiene training for school children was introduced by BASF’s management trainees.

In March 2013, Kampong Uor Village with a population of 620, celebrated the official launch of the first CWE in their community.

We are excited to continue on this journey working with more corporates to form more water alliances that bring clean water to more poor rural communities in Asia. Below is a clip of the FM93.8 Live Interview with Mr Dean Draper, Managing Director ASEAN Sub-region, BASF South East Asia Pte Ltd.