Project name: Water for Life (Siem Reap) Phase 1
Host partners: Middletown Rhode Island Rotary Club/Water for Cambodia, Angkor Hospital for Children
Singapore partners: Deutsche Bank and Ngee Ann Development
Duration: 2010 - 2014
Outcomes: This project provided 17,238 villagers with convenient access to clean and quality drinking water through the installation of 2,652 bio-sand filters (BSF) in the districts Prasat Bakong and Sout Nikum, and nine communes in Siem Reap. From 2010 to 2011, literacy programmes were also conducted for 600 villagers, particularly women. These focused on subjects such as literacy, hygiene, and the use and maintenance of BSFs. We also supported the capacity-building of staff at a rural health centre, and the evaluation of water quality at a water laboratory facility, to ensure the proper operation of installed filters. Our evaluation revealed that 80 per cent of the households impacted reported no longer suffering from diarrhoea, and 84 per cent said the health of their children had improved vastly after the use of BSFs. There was also a notable change in attitude and behaviour with regards to water —16 per cent of households with children reported bringing BSF-filtered water to schools, and farmers brought BSF-filtered water to the fields.