We will construct seven ferrocement tanks in Laindatang to provide clean water to isolated families. Three of these are funded, but four are still needed. We require CHF 2,300.- for each tank. Your support guarantees access to clean water for the most remote communities. Donate now and be part of this life-changing project.
All Articles & News: Fair Future’s Impact in Rural Areas
The news and articles page that reveals the essence of our organization. Each article highlights the experiences, values, and efforts of the Fair Future team. Our writing goes beyond reporting; it tells the essence of the communities we connect with and the challenges and triumphs we experience.
Welcome to the Fair Future News page! Our teams on the ground have carefully crafted each article, story, and update.
These pages contain a wealth of unique content that truly represents our mission, our work, and our interactions with the communities we serve.
These articles will give you a deeper look into our work, highlighting our sources of inspiration and sharing real-life experiences as they unfold.
Our stories convey our deep emotions about the people we impact, the obstacles we overcome, and the victories we achieve. Direct from action on the ground, we share authentic stories of providing medical aid, educational opportunities, and clean water to those who need it most, bringing hope into their lives. We offer honest reflections that tell real stories, reflecting the heartfelt spirit at the heart of our mission – all crafted without any AI help, but rather by individuals living this experience every day.
We invite you to engage with us and be inspired by the powerful stories of ourselves and the communities we have been privileged to serve. Enjoy reading!
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation – Updated in February 2025
Our latest articles
Search something
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, the simple act of washing hands is more than basic hygiene; it’s a lifesaving gesture. Fair Future Foundation’s latest campaign, ‘Let’s Wash Your Hands,’ marks a significant leap in public health for rural communities. Through the Water Connections program, we’ve installed sinks across schools and villages, ensuring every child can fight against diseases like malaria, polio, and tuberculosis through the power of clean water. This initiative is not just about improving health but fostering a sustainable environment where every child can grow up healthy and strong.
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
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
Connecting Families in Rural Indonesia with clean water
In this new “Picture of the Day”, around ten people are seen burying HDPE pipes between a new 5000-liter ferro-cement tank and another 5000-liter ferro-cement tank. These pipes will later connect the new sanitation facilities, the school, the village houses, and the latest installation of eight sinks These sinks will allow the village’s children to wash their hands.
The #WaterConnections projects we carry out in ultra-rural villages in Indonesia, such as Laindatang, embody much more than a simple water installation. They symbolize a profound transformation in the living conditions of the communities where we work. By connecting kilometres of heavy and robust HDPE pipes, we weave water supply networks and links of solidarity and mutual aid between residents and our team.
These pipes, which we carefully bury to protect them from savannah fires—a work we do with the villagers—are not only water pipes; they are the vectors of better health and a vastly improved quality of life. Access to clean water radically changes the daily lives of these families. Drinking, cooking, washing, watering a garden, or simply washing have become simple and safe, eliminating many risks of using contaminated water.
The availability of clean water has a direct and measurable impact on the health of communities. Infectious diseases, often spread by unsafe water, see their rate drastically reduced once access to quality water is secured. Ailments such as malaria, diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, and other water-related illnesses, which previously were part of daily life in these villages, are beginning to disappear. By providing a reliable source of drinking water, we attack the root of one of the leading causes of malnutrition, allowing safer food and facilitating the irrigation of small vegetable gardens, sources of better, fresh and nutritious food.
Beyond health, #WaterConnections is also revolutionizing villages’ social and economic fabric. Women and children, who were often responsible for collecting water, sometimes from long distances, were freed from this time-consuming and exhausting task. Children can devote more time to their education, and women to income-generating activities or personal development. This creates a dynamic of progress and empowerment within communities, promoting the emergence of new opportunities for all.
This project is not only a technical response to the problem of access to water; it is a door to a healthier, more equitable and more promising future for hundreds of families. By building these facilities, training residents in their maintenance, raising awareness of the importance of hygiene and sharing our knowledge, Fair Future and all our teams on site are sowing the seeds of an innovative and, above all, sustainable transformation. Each pipe laid, each meter of buried pipe, and each drop of clean water that arrives in a home brings us closer to this future for those families officially qualified by the national authorities as “Extreme Poverty”.
Thanks to the support of donors and partners, these projects can come to fruition. We are grateful to everyone from Rotary, those involved in the fight against malaria (RAM), and supporters from Switzerland, Indonesia, and worldwide. Together, we can save lives.
Your help is vital in supporting our mission to reach more villages and improve more lives. Water is essential, and together, we can make life healthier, safer, and more full of opportunities for Indonesia’s ultra-rural communities. Thank you for your ongoing support and for believing in our cause.
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – The 27th of March 2024
Revolutionizing Health in Laindatang with New Sanitation
The new “Picture of the Day” features the newly completed sanitary facilities in the village of Laindatang. It’s a revolutionary development for these families, who previously lacked access to toilets, showers, and clean water. Fair Future has been actively involved in this area for 18 months and is making significant changes to improve people’s health and preserve lives.
In the village of Laindatang, the concrete and vital action of the Fair Future Foundation is manifested through the #WaterConnections project. Before our intervention, living conditions in this village were precarious, and there was no access to basic sanitation facilities or clean water. Families live daily, facing the daily challenges posed by the lack of hygiene and the health risks that arise from it.
Completing the second sanitation facility in the village marks a turning point. These facilities, including a handwashing sink, represent a revolution for the community. Hand hygiene’s simple yet crucial importance cannot be underestimated in the fight against infectious diseases. The source of this transformation? Four new ferro-cement reservoirs, the fruit of our ingenuity and determination, and a deep borehole that symbolizes our ongoing commitment to the Laindatang community.
These facilities, separated by gender, offer private space for showering, washing clothes, and much more. They are equipped with safety tanks divided into three parts, designed to filter and separate water at different stages of use in accordance with international water purification standards. This distinction between clean, shower, and dirty water is essential for preserving water quality in the village, a pillar of our mission to combat transmissible diseases.
Implementing these sanitation facilities has a profound impact on the health and well-being of the villagers. By eliminating unsanitary practices such as open defecation, we directly reduce the risks of infectious disease transmission, a primary concern in these ultra-rural areas. This action represents a significant step forward in our fight against diseases like Malaria, Diarrhea, Cholera, Polio and other water and hygiene-related infections.
Beyond the sanitary aspect, these facilities strongly impact the dignity and privacy of individuals, particularly the women and girls of the village. Having access to private toilets with a closed door is a matter of personal respect, safety, and female health preservation. This dramatically changes the daily dynamics of the village, offering a healthier, safer, and more dignified living environment.
This achievement results from the commitment of the Fair Future Foundation and its partners, but above all, it demonstrates our will to put humans at the heart of our actions. Each project and each initiative we undertake aims to concretely improve the lives of the communities we serve by providing sustainable solutions to the challenges they face. In Laindatang, as in every village where we intervene, our mission is clear: to build a fairer, healthier, and more equitable future for all.
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – The 27th of March 2024
Laindatang School’s New Handwashing Facility Fights Diseases
The new “Picture of the Day” features the new healthy handwashing facility at Laindatang School. This is the first time such a facility has been built and put into service in a public school. It is part of a unique program aimed at effectively combating infectious diseases in a region greatly affected by health issues, especially those impacting children.
In the Laindatang region, where challenges such as lack of water, electricity, and sanitation are combined with the fight against high rates of infectious diseases like malaria, the Fair Foundation’s #WaterConnections project represents a significant step forward towards improving the living and health conditions of the most vulnerable communities. By inaugurating the first handwashing facility in a local school, we have taken a crucial step in our commitment to ensuring access to essential sanitation services for children, for whom regular hygiene practice has been a rarity until now.
This sanitary facility comprises eight sinks, six visible in the shared image, and two are located in new healthy sanitary facilities built by our team. It marks a turning point in Laindatang’s children’s daily lives. Previously, the opportunity to wash their hands was a luxury, with families having to walk long distances to the nearest river for water. This journey could only be done every two weeks or, in some cases, once a month. In the dry season, these challenges become even more overwhelming, further limiting access to water for basic needs.
The project is not limited to providing convenient access to water for handwashing; it is also a head-on fight against infectious diseases that have long afflicted the community, particularly malaria. By introducing these handwashing facilities, the Fair Future Foundation aims to introduce vital hygiene practices that can significantly reduce the spread of infections. This effort is even more critical in a region where children and families face the threat of life-threatening illnesses every day.
Beyond improving hygiene, this project highlights our commitment to sustainable development and community involvement. By working hand-in-hand with residents and tailoring our solutions to Laindatang’s specific challenges, we ensure that the benefits of these facilities will endure over time and continue to serve future generations.
Through the #WaterConnections project and similar initiatives, the Fair Future Foundation reaffirms its dedication to building a future where access to clean water, sanitation, and healthy living conditions is no longer a barrier to the health and well-being of the poorest communities in Southeast Asia. Our actions on the ground, guided by an in-depth knowledge of local needs and a desire to create a lasting impact, allow us to bring these communities closer to a healthier and safer future every day. Together, we are creating a future where every child has the fundamental right to clean water and good health.
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – The 27th of March 2024
Improving Rural Life: The Role of Water Tanks
In rural areas like here as part of the #WaterConnections – Laindatang 2024 project, water reservoirs play a crucial role in improving the quality of life and health of families. Discover how these Water Tanks improve living conditions, promote health and fight infectious diseases. Access to clean water transforms communities, giving them the means to have a better future.
Incredible Work: Transforming Laindatang Through Water Connections
Witness the remarkable efforts of Fair Future and Kawan Baik Foundation in Laindatang as they bravely tackle extreme conditions to construct reliable water connections and sanitation facilities. Be inspired by the indomitable spirit of the community as they unite to create a better future in the face of adversity.
Drilling in Extreme Conditions: Challenges and Triumphs
Our team had been looking for favourable weather conditions since mid-February to move our drill to the #WaterConnections project site in Laindatang village. Finally, on February 22, we seized our opportunity when a truck transported our more than seven-ton drill to Laindatang.
Getting the heavily loaded truck there presented another challenge. Upon arrival, we had to manually carry the machine approximately 300 meters to reach the drilling site. This exhilarating moment filled us with wonder and pleasure, reinforced by our appreciation for the unwavering support of local residents and villagers who are always ready to help us.
Due to the need for water during drilling, we install a substantial temporary 5,000-liter tank. It may seem paradoxical, but having access to water is essential to locate it underground. The installation process took several hours as we erected an impressive tower with a height of 8 meters.
Later in the day, a religious ceremony was held by the villagers who practice the Marapu religion. Three small chickens were offered as sacrifices to determine if we would encounter any problems when drilling for water so that their entrails could be read. According to the community members who organized the ritual, no problems will occur during this deep drilling.
Currently, we are on the fifth day of our expedition and have already gilded at a depth of almost 70 meters. However, a problem has arisen in the form of so-called “water loss”. This phenomenon refers to a situation in which the injected water does not rise due to damage caused by a crack in the six-inch diameter of the well.
Although the machine is working properly, we are currently facing a water shortage. Due to insufficient rainfall and the unavailability of water trucks during dry weather, we do not have access to enough rainwater to fill our on-site tanks needed for drilling. Our daily drilling demand amounts to almost 10,000 litres of water with around 30 meters remaining before we reach the target depth of 100 meters – where, hopefully, an abundant source awaits us which would be beneficial in providing drinking water within this village; thus considerably improving everyone’s quality of life.
Despite a challenging environment, the team engaged on-site perseveres tirelessly in arduous tasks. The heavy drill rods weigh nearly 50 kilograms each and the aggressive elements such as the intense heat of the day, the rain, the wind, the mud, and the cold of the evening prove powerless to stifle our fierce training. Each day brings its share of obstacles, but we remain resolutely focused on achieving our ultimate goal: improving the lives of the residents of the Laindatang Village.
Thank you very much for your attention and support in the water connection project we are working on in Laindatang. This project is significant for both the locals and us as a Swiss foundation, and we have put our hearts into it. As a reminder, last February, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of Fair Future, and this project is important to us all. Thank you very much for your help and support.
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – The 3rd of March 2024
Improving Nutrition with #WaterConnections in Laindatang
#WaterConnections here in Laindatang was established for various reasons. Firstly, to improve the living conditions of the residents, promote better health, and combat issues of malnutrition and infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, cholera, hepatitis, polio, and others.
But to combat malnutrition and unhealthy eating habits, it is essential to provide adequate knowledge. The residents here have no concept of what it means to eat healthily. As part of this program, for several months, Fair Future and Kawan Baik cook on-site, not only for our team of workers but also for the village workers, about 30 to 50 people each day. We categorically refuse to prepare unhealthy meals.
Instead, we educate them on new tastes, showing them what fresh vegetables like carrots, potatoes, cabbage, green vegetables, and corn look like, cooked in different ways. It is crucial for children's growth to have a healthy diet. Many of them travel kilometres to get to school, arriving tired, exhausted, and unable to concentrate.
Most of the time, they haven't eaten before leaving home. Additionally, they lack access to water. For us, nutrition is therefore one of the key pillars of this program, along with the prevention of infectious diseases.
Throughout the duration of the project, we focus on nutrition, in addition to preventing infectious diseases. We spend much time cooking for the villagers and teaching them the basics of a healthy diet. The #WaterConnections program is there for them, to offer them a better future and better health, as we believe that it is through clean water that we can accomplish almost anything.
Growing vegetables, generating income through their sale, this is what awaits us in the coming weeks as we cook for the school children every day, helping them adopt better eating habits. This is crucial for them because they represent the future generation, those who will outlive us.
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – The 3rd of March 2024
Truck of Life Rescues Trucks: Incredible Feat
Experience the remarkable journey of the Fair Future Foundation’s Truck of Life as it braves extreme terrain to deliver vital resources to the isolated village of Laindatang. This tale of courage and determination exemplifies the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity, against all odds.
Transforming Lives with Water and Nutrition in East Sumba
Fair Future and Kawan Baik are revolutionizing community health through clean water and nutrition education in this project in laindatang. This transformative action is not just about providing meals; it is about teaching sustainable living, promoting well-being and fostering self-sufficiency. Join us to fight malnutrition, empower communities and pave the way to a healthier future. Find out how we make good health accessible to everyone, despite difficult circumstances.