Affordable Water Eases The Burden of Poverty

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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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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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.

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

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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 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.

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.

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.

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