Lapinu Water Crisis: Ibu Ester’s Emotional Plea for Clean Water and Urgent Medical Support
Check out Ibu Ester 90-second testimony on YouTube by clicking here
In the village of Lapinu in East Sumba, daily life is marked by challenges. The lack of electricity (check our SolarBuddy Program here) adds to their difficulties. The roads are almost impassable and can only be accessed by a 4×4 vehicle on dangerous, winding roads. However, the biggest obstacle remains access to water and clean sanitation.
Ester, whose full name is Ibu Konga Naha, guides Wangga Bewa areas and reveals her village’s plight: access to water is a challenge due to the distance, and what they manage to collect is unfit for consumption. Children must walk long distances through rough terrain daily to collect five litres of contaminated water. As a result, they rarely wash; they suffer from frequent illnesses, infections, skin conditions and dehydration. This lack of clean water has profound implications for all aspects of the community’s life, from health and education to basic survival needs.
“Without clean water, there is no health. No amount of medicine can undo the damage caused by contaminated water. Lapinu’s children are fighting for survival—we must act now.” — Alex Wettstein, CEO & Founder, Fair Future
For the past three years, Fair Future’s Primary Medical Care program has provided life-saving care to this village. However, health care alone is not enough. Without access to clean water, recurring illnesses persist and the cycle of disease continues unabated.
Ester speaks passionately about the children, intimately aware of their struggles. She sees how exhausted they are and observes their daily battles for something as essential as water. As she speaks, her voice almost breaks into tears. No child should have to endure such conditions, and no mother should have to watch her child suffer from easily preventable illnesses resulting from a basic need: access to clean, safe water.
That is why Fair Future wants to start a new Water Connections program in Lapinu. However, we can’t do it alone and need your help.
Watch this short 90-second film on YouTube to get a glimpse of the reality of life in Lapinu. Please share, discuss, and join us in our mission to provide clean water to those who need it most.
#FairFuture #WaterCrisis #CleanWaterNow #Lapinu #HumanitarianAction #HealthForAll #WaterConnections #EndWaterCrisis #PrimaryMedicalCare #ActForChange
Today, January the 21st, 2024 – Alex Wettstein
Related external links
- Water.org: Works globally to provide clean water and sanitation solutions to vulnerable communities.
- Last Mile Health: Supports remote communities with medical care, similar to Fair Future’s programs.
- Charity: Water: Funds clean water projects in underserved rural communities worldwide.
- UNICEF Water, Sanitation & Hygiene: Focuses on global access to clean water and disease prevention.
- WHO Water, Sanitation & Hygiene: Provides research and policy guidance on global water-related health crises.