This is our third time working with this wonderful organization.

Lifewater: provides access to safe water, and improved sanitation and hygiene, one village at a time. For this particular project Mite will be funding a large village water program in Cambodia, with construction projected to conclude by Q3 of 2022.

Mite is providing safe water, improved health, and Gospel hope in Rohal Village located in Cambdoai.

Rohal Village is home to 306 people, with the main industry being agriculture. Another organization installed a well with a hand pump several years ago, but without community investment and education, the pump broke and became unusable and unsafe again, leaving people at risk of catching water-borne diseases like Cholera.

In lieu of a working well, several families dug a pit to access water. For the past year, church volunteers have taken their water committee training to share WASH education with this community, and several surrounding communities.

This project is part of Lifewater’s “Healthy Village” vision, where they aim to build long-term regional transformation. They have been operating in different countries since 2016, including Cambodia working with villages who are eager to empower themselves for sustainable change.

Lifewater works with a community-led approach to sanitation so leaders inspire others to take ownership of these initiatives so everyone benefits. It takes up to three years for communities to obtain a “healthy village” status and assume responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of the clean water source.

We are providing safe water, improved health, and Gospel hope in Rohal Village. The well will be installed in a village of 306 people. Join this project to bring clean water and health to people in Cambodia.

Trapeang Ruessei, Cambodia

Lifewater International

Clean Water, Healthy Village - Cambodia

Did you know that 21% of the Cambodian population does not have basic access to safe drinking water? Further, 34% have no reliable source of handwashing facilities with soap and water. Water in the area is severely contaminated since 32% do not have access to a toilet, creating a major public health crisis. The great news is that this is entirely preventable. 

Lifewater’s mission is to bring sanitary water access to the world’s hardest-to-reach communities. Their team consists of a local staff who knows the culture and language and helps the community adopt lifesaving sanitation and hygiene practices and build a reliable and safe water source that will positively impact the community for generations. 

April Update

"Soursdei" (hello) from Cambodia! It's rainy season in the kingdom of wonder, which means drilling for water has been challenging. Unfortunately, we received news from our partner Lifewater that even with such wonderful odds in Trapeang Ruessei village, the team could not complete drilling at this time. 

This is the update from engineer Samay Yin:

“For these sub-villages (Trapeang Ruessei I and Trapeang Ruessei II), two new boreholes were planned for construction in Q2/2022. In the month of May/2022, the contractor tried the first drilling but was not successful; then conducted a geophysical survey to get a feasible site, but couldn't get a feasible site within those sub-villages. Currently, there is rain, so the contractor will not be able to continue drilling for these sub-villages. Hence, I request to postpone this plan until 2023. To replace this plan, I recommend drilling two new boreholes for Rohal village. Rohal was a 2023 plan as per the previous master plan, but it is accessible, has no land issue, and progressing the prerequisites well. Therefore, I request to add Rohal Village to the 2022 plan. As per the standard, this village requires two boreholes. One borehole will serve 160 population; the other borehole will serve 146.”

So we have good news! We are supporting the drilling of Rohal Village to bring access to safe and clean drinking water to 306 people! 

The water quality is currently under analysis, and once that's complete, a fountain will be installed. We expect the two water points to be completed by the end of July or the start of August. The water points will also be subject to a detailed review by a Lifewater engineer. 

June Update

Drilling is complete, and the team found water at two locations in Rohal Village. Water quality is being analyzed, the handpump is being installed, and the two water points will be completed soon. 

Pictured is the Mao Sav family. Thanks to your support, they now have a dignified latrine. The Sav family grows cassava crops to make a living. Before our partner, Lifewater, intervened, they relied on rain and surface water during the rainy season. During the dry season, they had to purchase water from a local vendor who sold water from an unprotected source. Much of their monthly income would go towards purchasing unprotected (unsafe) water.

The photos were taken after the Mao Sav family obtained "Healthy Home" status, a goal our partner strives for when delivering their WASH education programs to families they serve. 

*For Informational purposes: Healthy Home Criteria
The goal for each household in a Lifewater program is to become a Healthy Home. The Healthy Home criteria ensure continued effectiveness in stopping the spread of disease. When a household meets all of these criteria, they will have significantly reduced disease transmission within their household. In addition, when many households in a community become Healthy Homes, disease transmission will be greatly reduced within that community. To become a Healthy Home, a household must achieve the following criteria:
- Drinking safe water
- Storing water safely
- Improved latrine with dignity
- Two proper hand washing devices with soap (or ash)
- Drying rack
- Clean compound
- Bathing shelter

July Update

When our partner met the Ky family, they had been using water from an unprotected water source in their rural village. The team identified this family as “vulnerable level 1”, meaning they are living well below the poverty line. 

The father of the family, Mr. Ting, earned a minimum wage as a construction worker, and his wife, Leam, stayed at home to take care of their two daughters and sometimes helped out on nearby farms to earn some extra income.

Their eldest daughter had been ill for a few years, experiencing ongoing diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, and weight loss. At one point, she became just skin and bone, and the family thought she might die. To get her the treatment she needed, the family had to borrow money from a neighbor, which they struggled to repay.  

After our partner Lifewater identified their village, they built a well so their community could access clean and safe water. Church volunteers regularly made visits and helped improve the community by building latrines and hand washing stations. 

Leam attended all the community meetings and learned about good sanitation & hygiene, which she then brought back to her home. Her oldest daughter is improving and is now well enough to attend school regularly.

Impact Story: Teamwork Builds Healthy Homes.

"Last month, I traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to see the completion of Project 45 and meet the families impacted by clean water. We had the opportunity to spend a couple of days with one local family and hear their story. Despite not speaking the same language, I immediately connected with Sot Khun. A lovely 72-year-old woman who lives with her husband, Thoeurn Pung. It's not easy to describe the connections experienced on these visits because they often come in the form of smiles, hugs, and kind gestures. But my connection with Sot Khun I will never forget. 

We talked for hours as she cooked and cleaned their home. She told me about how she fell for Thoeurn Pung and their sweet love story. She felt comfortable opening up about their difficulties working in the fields to put food on the table, how age has impacted her day-to-day activities, and her longing for grandchildren to come around more often. We spoke about how clean water changes everything and having easy access to it has impacted her family's life in ways she couldn't explain.

We cried. We hugged. We laughed a lot. And we enjoyed just being in each other's presence. Soh Khun hardly left my side for two straight days. She remained next to me, holding my hand and smiling — like a mother with her daughter. 

I left Cambodia with a heavy but fuller heart. These are the things that I most enjoy and cherish while in the field. If I can share it, even in the slightest way, with you, our giving community, I can proudly say that we are fulfilling our purpose."

“One Special Connection” by Milenita Vega on her infield visit to Cambodia.

Lifewater, our long-standing partner, is making a difference in the lives of people in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania. With their unique process of choosing where to implement their projects, they ensure that they bring life-saving hygiene and sanitation practices to the communities who need it the most.

But how do they choose where to implement their projects? It starts by identifying countries with the highest rates of extreme poverty and the lowest human development indexes. Then, they conduct on-the-ground research to see if the districts meet their five criteria:

Low water coverage: Measuring the percentage of safe water access in the area, the prevalence of waterborne disease, and how the communities are managing the water they have access to.

Settled communities: Prioritizing communities that are settled or plan to stay for generations in the location.

Rural People Groups: Targeting villages that have a long travel time with limited forms of transportation and poor technology.

Visible Signs of Community Development Efforts: Only working with villages that are willing to participate in their transformation.

Unreached people: As a Christian organization, the heart of Lifewater's work is restoring people's relationship with Jesus.

If the districts meet these criteria, our partner selects clusters of villages, establishes a program office in the district, and hires in-country staff. They focus on communities with high illiteracy rates and where subsistence farming is common, as these are the communities that will benefit most from the direct and indirect impact of safe water and improved hygiene and sanitation.

In short, Lifewater is changing the game in communities with great needs. With their unique approach, they are not only bringing life-saving water and hygiene practices, but also hope and transformation to the people they serve.

Our Partners Approach to Empowering Communities

73-year-old Cambodian farmer, Teourn Pung, struggled with unclean water his entire life, but thanks to your support that has forever changed. Now the whole village, including Teourn's family, has nearby access to a clean water well!

Join us in celebrating the success of Project 45, where we teamed up with Lifewater to accomplish this incredible impact in Cambodia.

Project 45: Clean Water, Healthy Village - Cambodia

Project 45: Clean Water, Healthy Village - Cambodia

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