With Christmas around the corner, we’re interviewing ChildFund supporters to find out what the festive season and Christmas gift giving means to them.
For Kate Tilley the joy of Christmas comes from helping others and spending time with loved ones, not purchasing material goods.
“Every Christmas my family and friends get a lot of ‘stuff’, some of which they don’t really need,” Kate says.
“It’s not about getting more ‘stuff’ but about helping others who are not as fortunate as us.”
Kate says her family and friends are from relatively affluent backgrounds so they already have many of the things they need and want.
Christmas Gift Giving That Gives Back
Instead of buying traditional, “physical” presents, Kate has been buying Gifts for Good for her family and friends for more than a decade, helping children and their families living in poverty access essential needs such as clean water, nutritious food, and education.
“By spending the money I would have spent on their gifts with Gifts for Good, I can invest in the future of our planet and assist people far less fortunate than us.”
Over the past decade, some of the Gifts for Good that Kate has bought include ducks, water filters, and study sets. She’s also helped clear bombs in Laos, allowing children to play safely and families to farm.
“Before ChildFund came to our village, I lost two sons because of unsafe water from the creek,” says 40-year-old Sok Ren from Kratie province in rural Cambodia. “One was four years old and my other son was only three months old.”
In the countries where we work, there are thousands of children who drink, wash and play in unsafe water. Many of these communities don’t have access to the healthcare facilities of the city, so if a child becomes sick from prolonged exposure to dirty water, they may not survive without the proper care.
Below we’ll explain how a simple hand pump well can change the lives of an entire village.
The Effects of Unsafe Drinking Water on Children
Sitting next to his wife, Vun Rom, on a bamboo bed in front of their small cottage, Sok Ren describes how he lost both his children.
“In the village we traditionally used and drank dirty water from the creek. It was a parasite in the water that caused one of my sons to get malaria and the other to get diarrhoea,” he says.
“I had no money and the health centre was a long way away from us so my sons passed away.”
Sok Ren and his wife live in Damrei Phong commune. Villagers from this area travel hours through forest, along rocky mountain roads to reach the closest district centre, located more than 30km away.
They aren’t the only parents who have had this heartbreaking experience in the village. It’s even more so to know that it could have been prevented if the family had access to a source of clean water.
How Our Water and Sanitation Project is Saving Lives
Before ChildFund’s water project began, people found water sources at the creek, from rain and through a few old open or tube wells in the village. Most did not understand the importance of hygiene and never used a toilet.
“A decade ago, at least four to five children died every year, mostly because of malaria and diarrhoea,” says Mr Hom Ly, vice-village chief, who lost three of his own children to these preventable diseases.
“However, the situation is getting better with the support of ChildFund’s water and sanitation project,” he says. “The rate of child sickness has decreased from 60 per cent to 20 per cent after four new wells were constructed in our village.”
Wells Improve Health and Sanitation In Villages
