Our sanitation facilities, such as this toilet in East Sumba, offer clean and sustainable...
We're building dozens of ferrocement tanks in the remote region of East Sumba, each capable of holding over 5,300 litres of clean water. Local families participate in their construction, ensuring long-term sustainability. Access to clean water prevents disease and transforms daily lives. Join us as we develop solutions.
Latest from the Field
The Laindatang 23-25 category of Fair Future Foundation documents a transformative three-year journey in ultra-rural Indonesia. From 2023 to 2025, we focus on improving clean water access, healthcare, and education in the village of Laindatang. These articles capture our progress, the challenges we face, and the meaningful impact we achieve in partnership with local communities. Discover how long-term commitment leads to sustainable change and resilient communities.
Transforming Lives in Laindatang village with the Water Connections Project
Laindatang Drilling Halted: New Rainwater Harvesting Plan
After nine months of drilling efforts in Laindatang, Fair Future has stopped operations due to safety concerns and technical challenges. The focus is now on building a rainwater harvesting system to provide clean water to the village.
Haircuts & Hygiene: Kids in Ultra-Rural Laindatang
In the rural area of Laindatang, children use one pair of old scissors to cut each other’s hair as part of our hygiene initiative. This teaches them self-care skills and brings joy despite the challenging conditions.
Transforming Unsafe Spaces into Healthy Environments
It is absolutely crucial to transform unsanitary school toilets into clean and hygienic...
Laindatang Deep Well Testing, Hope for Clean Water
Fair Future continues its groundbreaking work in Laindatang, one of the driest regions in the world. During this crucial test phase of deep well drilling, the goal is to provide access to vital water for over 600 people, including many children. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that these remote communities can flourish through improved health, nutrition, and hygiene.
Final Report: Laindatang Water Connections Phase 2
After completing Phase 2 of the Laindatang Water Connections, we have successfully provided clean water and improved health in Laindatang. This initiative has significantly upgraded their quality of life by reducing infectious diseases and promoting healthier lifestyles. Our comprehensive report details infrastructure progress, healthcare education programs, and ongoing efforts for a sustainable well-being future in this area.
Healthy Living with Clean Water and Nutrition
In East Sumba, the Fair Future Foundation is transforming lives through its Water Connections program, providing clean water, improving hygiene, and promoting nutritious meals and healthy lifestyles for a brighter and healthier future for all.
Clean Water for Handwashing in Rural Communities
In East Sumba, the Fair Future Foundation’s #WaterConnections project has improved access to clean water and hygiene. This initiative has reduced infectious diseases and improved living conditions by installing washbasins and handwashing stations. The Foundation has provided clean water to over 600 people in Laindatang, demonstrating the positive impact of their efforts.
Eben’s Art Marks 15 Years of Fair Future and Water Aid
Eben’s journey from being a polio survivor to becoming an artist is central to Fair Future’s 15-year celebration. His artwork on the anniversary T-shirt represents hope and the impactful changes in Laindatang, brought about by the Water Connections project. This story is not only about overcoming adversity, but also about envisioning a future where clean water and healthy living are available to everyone.
Clean Water Brings Health and Happiness to Rural Areas
The Water Connections project by the Fair Future Foundation is transforming life in Laindatang, East Sumba. By providing clean water to 600 residents, including nearly 100 schoolchildren, we are not only improving hygiene and reducing the risk of diseases like malaria, polio, and tuberculosis, but also teaching sustainable living practices. Our dietitian’s efforts to promote healthy eating and our educational initiatives on hygiene are empowering this extremely rural community to thrive. Support our mission to create a healthier future for all.
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.
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


