A Drop of Change: Water Finally Arrives for Laindatang's Most Isolated Families
👋 Hi everyone, how are you today? This is Alex writing another story for you,
Today, as I have just washed and we are getting ready to go and replenish the stocks of medicines for the Kawan Sehat health workers, I would like to talk to you about something as simple as it is essential: having water at home.
In a small, super isolated village, very difficult to access, called Laindatang, it is not a luxury, it is a dream. Imagine having to walk 3, 5, sometimes 13 kilometers just to fill a can of water. Imagine that it is often children who carry this load, every day, under a blazing sun. Fortunately, they all have a SolarBuddy lamp to light their way at night, we gave them nearly 100 (one lamp per child) last year.
For three years, thanks to all of you, Rotary International, all our volunteers, and the words of support that I often receive, we are moving forward. Thanks to the Water Connections program, we have built more than fifty reservoirs, dozens of sanitary facilities and, above all, brought water closer to families. Things are really much, much better in terms of everything. Hygiene, health, nutrition, hydration, reduction of infectious diseases, etc.
But in this village there are still isolated houses, too far from the nearest source. For them, we have come up with a sustainable solution that we know very well: ferro-cement tanks that capture and filter rainwater.
But honestly, the good news? We have already financed three tanks! These 3x 5000 liters of clean and healthy water will transform the lives of several families. Thank you to those who make this possible. We will start building them in May 2025, as soon as the rainy season ends.
It's crazy but for Primus, Ino, Elthon and myself and with the help of the villagers, such a tank is built in a week, then we wait 10 days before filling it. Clean water will be there, at home, for the first time.
But there are still four tanks missing. Four families who are still waiting. We can't leave them behind.
Each tank costs between 2,000 and 2,500 CHF - an amount that seems high, but which guarantees more than 10 years of drinking water for entire families.
💧 A tank means a family that no longer has to walk miles every day for water.
👩👧👦 A tank means children who can go to school instead of carrying cans.
🏡 A tank means a home where you can cook, wash, and drink safely.
🩺 A tank means a barrier against diseases caused by contaminated water.
👶 A tank means fewer babies getting sick because of unsafe water.
🤝 A tank means a growing community, with less inequality between those who have water and those who don't.
We build these reservoirs together, with the families themselves. Because water is the basis of everything: health, education, opportunities. No one should fight so hard for such a fundamental need.
So, if you want to help, whether it's for a reservoir, a school, a class... know that every gesture counts. And that here, every drop of water changes a life.
Thank you, thank you for believing in a fairer world.
See you soon and take care. Alex Wettstein
💧 Discover the project here and join us in bringing water to everyone.
📝 Here are all the articles about the Water Connections project - Laindatang Site.
📍 Take a look at the interactive map we created that serves as an essential planning tool. |
