ChildFund in Laos is working with local partners in three rural villages to make sure that children and their families can access clean, safe water for the health and wellbeing of people in the area.
Chong Song is a leader in Phoupied Village, one of the villages taking part in the Sustainable Change Achieved through Linking Improved Nutrition and Governance (SCALING) project. In total, there are three villages in the project.
Song next to a water tank.
Song shared that it is was difficult for families to access clean water. “In the past, we faced frequent water shortages. People couldn’t access water equally either. Those who live near the reservoir were always using too much water for themselves and not leaving enough for those who live far away.”
Phoupied has a population of three hundred people. In the households, children were often responsible for making the long trip to the river to fetch water for their families. This means the children have less time to play, homework and family life as they spend more of their time sourcing clean water.
Most members of the community are farmers and access to water is vital for their livelihoods. ChildFund in Laos worked with local partners to come up with a way for water to be more accessible. The initiative was funded by the European Union.
Members of the community enthusiastically helped build a gravity-fed water system where water is collected from a nearby river, gets filtered and is collected in a water tank. They volunteered their time, labour and materials to build the system.
A plumbing system was also built so that each house had a tap connected to the water tank for instant access to clean water in their homes.
Because of the water supply system, children and families in the community can now access clean and safe water at any time of day. This increases their health and hygiene practices and helps prevent them from getting sick. Children also have a lot more time now to dedicate towards their education and social activities.
“Not only was the water supply system constructed but a water meter has been installed in each household as well that lets them monitor their water usage. The more you use, the more you must pay for a bill. This system made people think before using water,” said Song.
The income generated by the water charge will be used to maintain the water supply system and ensure sustainability.
“I will continue monitoring and maintaining the water supply system. This is not only for me, but it will be beneficial for the people in my community and so our future generations can access water,” added Song.
This World Teachers’ Day, 5 October, we’re celebrating all types of teachers in remote Cambodia who are supporting children like 10-year-old Chantey to stay in school and access a quality education.
Through a three-year program, ChildFund Cambodia has worked with local partners to equip teachers and student tutors with the skills to motivate children to learn in a safe and healthy environment.
Chantey had a hard time at school. She said that young girls like her had little access to hygiene facilities and that she was bullied by some of the older students. She reported these incidents to her teachers, but they didn’t take any action and she didn’t feel safe in school.
Then Chantey and her family heard about a new school built by the community with support from ChildFund. She was ready for a change and decided to give the school a go and, in this new setting, she thrived.
“I love my new school’s environment, better teachers, playground, canteen, sport area, more friends and modern library,” she said happily.
Through the project, the community built libraries, ensured access to clean water, provided training to school leadership and increased community engagement.
Training and upskilling teachers has been a significant element of building these community friendly schools. After participating in the training, Manich, a first-grade teacher, said “as I am a newly graduated teacher, the project trained me in many different teaching techniques, including fun techniques, how to measure students’ progress, and how to identify the level of reading capabilities of students and how to help them regardless of what level they are at.”
This education project focusses on setting these schools up for long-term success. This means developing student councils as a youth leadership program to support school management and teachers to improve their schools and support students who are struggling with the curriculum.
Sopheaney, 13-years-old, is the President of Wat Cheng primary school’s student council. She tutors the younger students when her teacher is busy and says she was “delighted to share knowledge with younger students.” Sopheaney is one of the 27 young tutors who works to help her peers keep up with the curriculum.
“She teaches me very well and I enjoy studying with her since we are like sisters,” said Vimean, an 8-year-old student Sopheaney tutors.
Whether it’s a student tutor or a trained teacher, teachers are the backbone of the school system and can inspire their students to undertake higher education. To date, ChildFund Cambodia has supported 250,000 children to stay in school through the COVID-19 pandemic.
We advocate for children’s rights worldwide and partner with local communities to create change which enables children and young people to assert and realise their rights.
Keep up to date with all the ChildFund stories from across the world.
Join a dynamic group of donors who are accelerating the impact on children’s lives by prioritising projects in communities where the need and opportunity is greatest.