We will construct eight ferrocement tanks in Hambarita to provide clean water to isolated families. Six of these are currently funded, but two remain unfunded. 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! Our teams have crafted each article, story, and update.
These pages showcase unique content reflecting our mission, work, and community interactions.
News about our humanitarian work is here.
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 April 2025
Our last News
Training Days for Malaria Study Using Kawan App
"iesTraining Local Teams to Lead the "Malaria Spread Studies" with Kawan Against Malaria App Empowering Communities in Umalulu to Diagnose and Prevent Malaria Effectively On April 23rd and 24th, we gathered in Umalulu to lay the foundations of a crucial step in the...
Our latest articles
Search something
Lighting Up Lives: SolarBuddy Impact on Kids’ Homes
In remote regions where darkness limits access to education and safety, the SolarBuddy program provides a beacon of hope. These solar-powered lamps are not just sources of light; they are tools for learning and safety, significantly improving the lives of children by expanding educational opportunities and reducing nighttime risks.
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.
Transforming Nutrition with Clean Water and Education
Fair Future and Kawan Baik are improving lives in rural areas by addressing malnutrition and poor health through clean water access and nutrition education. Our projects, including #WaterConnections, teach communities to grow and cook healthy foods, ensuring healthier lives for children and families. With support and guidance, we empower villages to improve their diets, health, and futures.
Truck of Life Repairs Boost Rural Health Aid
The Truck of Life, essential for reaching rural areas, has undergone major upgrades, including new solar panels, a 75-liter vaccine storage unit, and a redesigned layout, turning it into a mobile clinic. These improvements enhance its ability to provide vital healthcare services, addressing the challenges of accessing medical care in remote areas and managing important resources like the cold chain.
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.
Collaboration with Rotary Club Australia in East Sumba
From April 17 to 24, Fair Future hosted five members of the Rotary Club Australia. They visited East Sumba to learn about our work, including clean water projects and efforts to combat diseases like malaria and dengue. Together, we distributed SolarBuddy lights and promoted healthy living. We deeply appreciated their support.
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.
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