Building the Laindatang water reservoir
A demanding construction in remote highlands
In Laindatang, nothing is simple. Everything must be carried, cut, shaped, and built by hand on a steep limestone plateau that has never known clean water. Our teams from Fair Future and Kawan Baik worked side by side with the villagers to create the 115,000-litre reservoir that will transform daily life here.
Rebar arrived in loose pieces, each one bent and tied manually because no prefabrication is possible this far from any road. The foundation grid demanded days of precise medical-level attention: equal spacing, strong anchoring, and correct tension to support decades of drinking water. Formwork was assembled from rough timber brought up the hill after repairing access tracks destroyed by the rain.
Concrete mixing became a relentless routine. Mixers ran for hours while gravel, sand, and water were hauled by hand. Every batch was checked for consistency, strength, and safety. Sudden rain forced us to protect the curing slab with tarps, working against the wind and cold. When the sun returned, levelling resumed until the structure held its line.
This reservoir is not just infrastructure. It is the result of human endurance, community effort, and field medicine applied to water access. Children watched every step,, knowing that soo, theywouldld drink clean water for the first time in their lives.
We cordially invite all captivated by this story to explore our photo gallery, witness this extraordinary effort, and further engage with our mission through our Instagram account.
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – the 9th of December, 2025
