via Khmer NZ
02 Aug 2010
Source: Oxfam GB - UK
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Uamdao Noikorn and Im Solinda meet people from Stung Treng, Cambodia, who have more time and better health because of a water filter that Oxfam has installed.
Malay Chan Thon prepares fish to sell to the market. Photo: Uamdao Noikorn/Oxfam
An 80-litre plastic container and a clay water filter are probably the last things most people in Hang Kosuan Village, Stung Treng, consider quality household items. But for many poor women, these simple, no-nonsense things give them a freedom they have never experienced before.
The items, distributed by Oxfam as part of its Typhoon Ketsana emergency response, save them a lot of time and energy from gathering firewood and boiling water, as the container is twice the size of the clay jar commonly used in the rural area, and the filter is proven effective.
For mothers like Khay Chan Thon, 48, whose children take turns suffering from diseases such as dengue fever, malaria and typhoid, seeing her kids make a speedy recovery without complications like diarrhoea was also a huge relief.
Khay and her daughters were responsible for carrying and boiling the water as the men needed to sleep after fishing all night. “It used to take us almost two hours or four trips or more to get enough water because we’re a big family. The filter also saved us time from collecting firewood.
The village is 500 metres from the river and firewood is 3km away. The villagers used to spend up to 4 hours gathering firewood twice a week, and the women would spend up to 2 hours a day collecting water, depending on their distance and needs. The water was only for consumption and household use as bathing and washing is done in the river.
With more time and stronger bodies â€" two invaluable things when you are poor with many children â€" Khay and her husband have found they have lower medical expenses and can go fishing longer to offset the lost income from declining fish stock.
In the old days when the family used to get as much as 10kg of fish, they simply sold the catch as it was for 4,000-5,000 Riel ($1-$1.25) per kilo. “But now we have to wash and cut the heads and tails to get better prices which are twice as high for only 3-4kg because the fish stock has declined recently,” Khay said.
Her 19-year-old daughter, Malay Chan Thon, said she used her free time to do the cutting while her mother was repairing the net. “I like it that we don’t have to collect water every day. It’s also good to not be sick or tired all the time.”
Thoeng Pan, 38, agreed. She hasn’t used the filter since the distribution in April for fear the children will break it, but she said the container has already allowed her to take better care of her 12 children and helped her husband go fishing.
“I used to carry the water four times every day to get enough water for everyone,” she said, adding that it would take about two hours a day. “Now we don’t have to go every day and the water has longer to settle,” she explained.
The two families were among those affected by the typhoon which had flooded the area for over a month. As well as the damage to farmlands, houses and basic infrastructure, the typhoon worsened the common problem in rural Cambodia: lack of access to sanitation facilities and drinkable water.
During the flood, Thoeng’s family had to stay at Khay’s house as her hut was only 50cm above the ground while the water was 60-70cm high. “It was a very difficult time. The water was everywhere. Since we got water from the river, we didn’t go far and just took it under our house. Luckily, the forest wasn’t flooded so at least we could boil the water.”
During the period, villagers got around in boats and defecated in the river while women and children, concerned about security, used the backyards at night. Such behavior is not uncommon in this area, where rivers and ponds are the only source of water.
Asked if she would use the filter soon, Thoeng said she wanted to but was afraid of losing it as she couldn’t afford to buy a new one. The family could not afford to buy anything more than rice and seasonings, let alone fishing nets. Instead they use harpoons and do labour work to make ends meet, she said.
Oxfam has so far distributed a water filter each to 470 families to curb the spread of diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases. As almost half of the 3,000 people benefiting have been women, the distribution has become a symbol of not only good health, but also freedom.
The women said they appreciated the items as they have eased their daily grind and given them more freedom. “Honestly,” said Malay, “we’d like to get one more container so we will have one more day free.”
Where we work: Cambodia
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