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The story of a dying land… and the families that resist
👋 Hi everyone, it’s Alex for another “dry” story, how are you all?
Today, I want to discuss the individuals who cultivate their own food and combat hunger. Allow me to share the story of the families we work alongside, who actively engage with us in developing their solutions by digging, lifting stones, and transporting cement in suffocating conditions, all to gain access to water for tomorrow.
I have witnessed these ageless mothers using their bare hands to gather the last vegetables from their gardens, fervently hoping for rain. I have heard fathers say they have nothing left to sell at the market, lamenting the parched fields and rice crops that refuse to grow, or that pests have decimated everything—millions of locusts that ravage hectares in mere minutes. I have truly seen it; it is incredible.
Have you ever felt the fear of not being able to feed your children?
We often discuss this with families, who almost always answer, "We are already used to living in these conditions." In Indonesian: "-Kita sudah biasa kaka..."
In these ultra-rural villages, the soil is parched and cracked, the wells are dry, and the crops wither before they can thrive. In Laindatang and Hambarita, life depends on streams and rainfall that lasts only four months; after that, no rain drops. Yet today, water remains elusive; rain has become an illusory hope. I observe that families count the days between meals, which is disheartening.
Water, the real treasure
That is why we have planned to build seven new ferro-cement tanks in two different villages starting next May and a huge tank with a capacity of 110,000 liters in Laindatang. These seven tanks will allow, in addition to all the others already built, to capture every drop of rainwater and make it available for drinking, cooking, and washing. The 110m3 tank will be a reserve in case of emergency and extreme drought.
A 5000-liter ferro-cement tank that we build ourselves costs CHF. 2250.-, but it offers life and health to several families. We have certainly built more than 70 to date. It's crazy, and I'm not even counting the number of sanitary facilities.
But it is not enough.
Without an adequate supply, water alone is insufficient for survival. We discovered that a significant majority of children (over 65%) are malnourished and suffer from issues such as rickets (a condition that weakens bones in children due to insufficient calcium production), anaemia, and infections resulting from a compromised immune system. To combat this, Fair Future continues our campaigns centred on healthy eating, educating families on gardening, cultivating local produce, and optimising available resources to enhance their nutrition.
A clear fact: We are the only foreign NGO in this region and the only one with a medical vocation, but we receive no aid from Switzerland, nothing at all. It is just us and you here.
A fight that we fight side by side.
We do not just provide water or food. On the contrary, we create solutions with them. We dig side by side and carry bags of cement together because these families are remarkable; with all of us, they persevere and fight for a better life.
They embody resilience by seeking not charity, but the opportunity to survive, to farm their land and feed their children.
We do all this for them.
It’s not just about drought; it’s also about justice. In 2024, we had the hottest year on record. For Indonesia, this means hunger, disease and migration.
Because water is essential to survival. And because we refuse to let these families face this alone.
☑️ Agriculture in danger Effects of climate and drought, read the article here in English;
☑️ Take a look at the food pyramid we created: eat well, stay healthy;
☑️ Healthy Foods and Unhealthy Foods: We highlight the contrast between nutritious foods and poor quality foods;
☑️ Seven new ferro-cement reservoirs will be built next May;
☑️ A huge 110m3 reservoir will be built next May;
See you soon. Alex Wettstein |
