In the scattered hills of East Sumba, 5,300-litre ferrocement tanks collect each drop of rain. Families help build and maintain them. Children drink safely, and women no longer have to carry 20-kilo jerrycans for hours. Water near the house is a primary source of health care.
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Alex
About this author: Alex Wettstein is a health professional with 30 years of field experience in emergency medicine and social medicine. He is the founder of the Fair Future Foundation. Alex is the son of Axel Kahn, whose humanist values profoundly shaped his work.
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Leading the charge against malaria in homes, with Fair Future
Fighting Infectious Diseases by Building hand-washing Solutions
Premiere of Matawai: Water Crisis in East Sumba
Join us on May 8 for the YouTube premiere of ‘Matawai: The Shade of Water’. Directed by Indira Larin, this 15-minute documentary unveils the acute water crises facing East Sumba’s communities and the life-changing impacts of the #WaterConnections program. Discover how we are tackling the essential need for clean water and fighting diseases like malaria through innovative solutions.
Choosing Health: Navigating healthy vs unhealthy foods
Fair Future Foundation’s latest initiative unveils the stark contrast between healthy vs unhealthy foods. With a vividly illustrated poster, this campaign sheds light on the dietary choices that lead to a healthier life. Dive into an educational journey that empowers individuals and communities to prioritize nourishment over mere satisfaction. It is a call to action, a plea for food that nourishes the body and mind, forging a more nutritious, informed, and resilient society.
Eben’s Art: Hope & Resilience in Laindatang’s Shadows
Eben’s story shines as a beacon of hope in Laindatang. With each stroke of his pencil, he fights the shadows of poverty and illness. Through our healthy living programs, the Fair Future Foundation presents Eben’s journey from hardship to optimism. His 45 drawings are much more than art; they convey messages of resilience, strength, and aspirations for a better future.
Let’s Wash Your Hands: A Lifeline for Rural Health
In East Sumba, washing hands is a lifesaving act. Fair Future Foundation’s ‘Let’s Wash Your Hands’ campaign, through Water Connections, has installed sinks in schools and villages, helping children fight diseases and grow healthily.
Four Pillars for a Healthier Life in Ultra-Rural Areas
Four Pillars for Healthy Living” serves as Fair Future’s guide for ultra-rural communities, emphasizing balanced lifestyle pillars: physical activity, nutrition, hygiene, and rest. This guide encourages daily exercise, a diet rich in fresh foods, regular washing with soap and water, and adequate rest for mental and physical health, aiming to enhance individual and community well-being.
Healthy Eating: Transform Lives with Nourishing Food
Fill Your Plate with Healthy Food” is an initiative by Fair Future Foundation aimed at enhancing health in ultra-rural areas. This educational poster, designed as a food pyramid, highlights the importance of balanced nutrition with locally sourced foods. It serves as an interactive tool to encourage communities to adopt healthier eating habits, thereby reducing diet-related diseases and improving children’s focus, while promoting sustainable dietary practices
How to drill a very deep well in an inaccessible and ultra-dry region
We bring the 6-tonne drill to the Laindatang site
Drilling in Laindatang: Overcoming the Harshest Conditions
Behold the new “Picture of the Day”, showcasing the 8-inch borehole being drilled in Laindatang, one of the driest regions in the world. This demanding and logistically complicated work presents numerous technical challenges. However, our motivation is unwavering, as the livelihood of an ultra-rural village community without access to clean water hinges on our success.
The #WaterConnections project in the village of Laindatang is both a significant technical challenge and a demonstration of human ingenuity in the face of natural adversities. This project aims to drill a deep well in one of the world’s driest regions of East Sumba and the world. We are the first to attempt a deep borehole here, and the logistical challenges are immense.
Transporting our own drilling machine, weighing around six tonnes, to terrain that is not easy to access even for the #TruckofLife, demonstrates the team’s exceptional determination and adaptability. The process was quite an adventure, which you can watch in this short film on YouTube.
Using rainwater for drilling by creating a mini artificial lake and a dam made of earth and branches is an innovative and ecological solution that highlights our commitment to overcoming obstacles while preserving the environment. Managing the water required for drilling, approximately 10,000 litres per day, without depleting already limited local resources, demonstrates careful planning and execution.
We encountered some challenges along the way. There was a landslide at the beginning of the borehole, and then another one a few days ago. However, the project was able to continue thanks to land stabilization measures. These technical interventions show a careful approach to unexpected situations, ensuring the safety and success of the well. We have published a gallery of images related to the drilling, and we recommend you take a look here.
This drilling project represents more than a technical endeavour; it catalyzes change, offering crucial access to clean water for the Laindatang community. Access to water is essential for improving residents’ health, nutrition, and hygiene.
We anticipate that the drilling will be finished by the end of April, which means there’s about another month of work left. This aligns with our initial estimate of two to four months of drilling work. Fair Future and Kawan Baik are not only involved in the physical aspects of the project but are also preparing the community to make the most of this valuable resource. The training modules scheduled for mid-April are crucial to ensure that the water brings lasting benefits in terms of improved nutrition, good hygiene, and better health access.
This drilling project is truly a once-in-a-lifetime endeavour. I want to express my gratitude to all of you because what we are attempting to accomplish here is remarkable. Each contribution brings us closer to turning this dream into a reality and providing water and hope to a community in desperate need.
Together, we confront adversity with resilience and innovation, demonstrating that no challenge is insurmountable when we unite for a brighter future. Your generosity transforms lives and establishes a legacy of health and prosperity for future generations.
Link:
We recommend you take a look at this gallery of images related to how we bring the drilling machine on-site;
Some short films on YouTube about drilling here in Laindatang.
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – The 28th of March 2024