Discover how Fair Future Foundation restored clean water access, enhancing healthcare for over 20,000 people in East Sumba’s Mahu region.
In East Sumba, an impoverished region in Indonesia, the Fair Future Foundation recently achieved a significant milestone that resonates deeply with its mission.
For over a month, the foundation relentlessly worked towards restoring a basic necessity – access to clean water at the local health center, known as Puskesmas, situated in the Mahu region. This achievement has had profound implications for the healthcare of over 20,000 people who rely on this facility for their medical needs.
The Dearth of Clean Water: A Dire Challenge: The absence of clean water in a healthcare facility is a crisis of paramount proportions. The consequences reverberate across hygiene, patient care, and the overall operation of the center. Consider this scenario: women arriving to give birth, injured and ailing patients, and dedicated healthcare workers – all grappling with the absence of water for basic sanitation, sterilization of equipment, and even simple personal hygiene. The sanitary needs of both patients and staff are compromised when access to water for toilets is absent.
Fair Future’s Resolve and Investment: In response to this pressing challenge, the Fair Future Foundation invested nearly $10,000 to reinstate the essential water supply. This endeavour involved laying over two hundred meters of pipes, installing a new 2500-litre PVC tank, fitting a new submersible pump, and repairing and replacing numerous taps, toilets, and showers. The tireless efforts of the foundation’s dedicated team bore fruit after approximately ten days of relentless work. The result: the hospital in the Mahu region now enjoys consistent access to clean water.
The most vulnerable people in this situation include children, the elderly, people suffering from chronic diseases, pregnant women, and newborns. Without adequate access to water to maintain hygiene and sterility, these populations are at an increased risk of infection, illnesses, and health complications.
A Lifeline for Ultra-Rural Communities: This achievement is a lifeline for the ultra-rural communities of Mahu, where access to water at the sole medical facility can be a matter of life or death. However, while this success is monumental, Fair Future acknowledges that the journey is far from over. The region still grapples with minimal access to water and electricity, and it faces one of the highest malaria rates in Southeast Asia.
Continuing the Journey: Zero Malaria Program: Fair Future remains committed to addressing these ongoing challenges, mainly through its Zero Malaria program, aimed at combatting this devastating disease. Many residents in this region must embark on arduous journeys, sometimes spanning nearly ten hours, to access medical care, exposing themselves to immense risks. These are the formidable challenges that Fair Future is determined to confront.
A Monumental Difference: The needs of this region remain substantial, but every step forward, such as the one achieved last month, brings hope and improved healthcare to the resilient people of East Sumba. Fair Future Foundation remains unwavering in its dedication to creating lasting positive change in the lives of those who need it most.
For more details and to explore our #WaterConnections programs, visit our website. We also invite you to witness this exceptional work through our photo galleries on Instagram. Your support is invaluable in furthering our mission. Together, we can make a monumental difference in the lives of East Sumba’s residents.
Your donation to the Fair Future Foundation’s projects can make a significant difference in the lives of those fighting against waterborne diseases in Mahu, located in East Sumba. Together, we can create a world where clean water is no longer a threat to life, improving families’ health and overall welfare. Your contribution will undoubtedly have a powerful impact on countless lives. Act now and make a change!
Thank you very much for your support.
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu,
September 15, 2023.
Lack of water in healthcare centres can harm public health in rural areas like here in Mahu
- Hygiene: The first consequence is the risk related to hygiene. Without water, it becomes tough to maintain cleanliness in the facility, whether it is for cleaning infrastructures, washing clothes and linens, or washing medical staff and patients.
- Hospital-acquired infections: In the absence of clean water, the risk of hospital-acquired diseases (infections acquired at the hospital) increases significantly. These infections can be lethal, especially for patients who are already weakened.
- Surgical procedures: Surgical procedures require rigorous sterilization of equipment and facilities, which is impossible without access to water.
- Dehydration: Without access to safe drinking water, patients (and staff) risk dehydration, which can exacerbate other health problems and be particularly dangerous for children and the elderly.
Mahu, Sumba Timur, Puskesmas – Images taken by Elthon in July 2023
Fair Future Foundation Restores Clean Water in Mahu Region. Discover how Fair Future Foundation revived clean water access at Mahu’s health centre, improving healthcare for thousands.”
Fair Future Foundation’s unwavering commitment to improving healthcare in East Sumba reached a significant milestone last month. In Mahu, a region where over 20,000 people sought medical care, a critical issue was addressed – the lack of clean water at the local health centre, Puskesmas. This setback severely affected hygiene, patient care, and overall facility operations.
Over the past month, Fair Future has reached another significant milestone in its charitable mission in East Sumba, one of the most impoverished regions of Indonesia. They restored access to clean water to the Puskesmas, a health centre in the Mahu region that had been without water for three years.
A Puskesmas, or medical care centre, is an Indonesian institution designed to provide free healthcare to all. Unfortunately, the one in the Mahu region, a refuge for over 20,000 people, was deprived of water, a vital resource. The lack of water has disastrous consequences for any healthcare facility, particularly regarding hygiene, equipment sterilization, and overall care quality.
The importance of having water in a healthcare facility is paramount. Imagine women coming to give birth or injured and sick patients in a centre without a drop of water for washing, rinsing, or caring for them. And what about the sanitary needs of all the employees and patients occupying these facilities without access to water for the toilets?
Rising to this challenge, Fair Future invested nearly $10,000 to restore an essential water supply and ensure that patients do not leave sicker than they were upon arrival. With over two hundred meters of pipes, a new 2500-litre PVC tank, a new submersible pump, and the repair and replacement of numerous taps, toilets and showers, the team worked tirelessly to restore this fundamental right.
After about ten days of work, success was achieved. The hospital in the Mahu region now has regular access to clean water. This success is crucial for the ultra-rural communities of Mahu, where the right to water in the region’s only medical centre is a matter of life or death.
However, there is still much to do. Access to water and electricity is minimal in the region, and the malaria rate is among the highest in Southeast Asia. Therefore, Fair Future continues its efforts, notably through the Zero Malaria program, to combat this devastating disease.
While this first success is critical, Fair Future knows that the fight is only beginning. Some residents must walk nearly ten hours to seek medical care, taking enormous risks along the way. These are the challenges that Fair Future now needs to face. It is clear that their needs remain considerable, but one thing is sure: every step forward, like the one accomplished last month, makes a monumental difference for the residents of East Sumba.
Note: Read all the articles and publications related to the #WaterConnections programs here.
We invite all those interested to view the photo galleries illustrating this exceptional work and learn more on our Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/fairfuturefoundation/.
