Water Filter Distribution

 

Last week was the culmination of many months and weeks of work and preparation.  We helped distribute over 700 ceramic pot water filters to every household in Prek Pneu.  It was a joyous week to say the least.

 

Two weeks ago we hosted the Adult Community Workshop on why drinking clean water is important and how that keeps families healthy, and how it ultimately protects children. Children can be protected because families are less likely to spend precious income on the medical issues within the family, thus lessening the probability that the family will go through a financial crisis that would then put them in the scenario of choosing if they need to sell a child into labor for additional income.  (In case you ever wondered why we even were involved in this project). 

 

Water filters do more than I ever once knew.

 

As the process -- we invited 30 or so households at a time to come to our building and receive a personal training on why to use a filter, how the filter works, and then how to clean and maintain the filter.  Sometimes I felt as if we were putting on a magic show because we would pour the Mekong River water into the filter and then drink it ourselves, as staff and trainers, and then give samples to the attendees and watch their facial expression turn to amazement as the see the once brownish-yellow water turned to clear, safe water that is good to drink.

 

Each day was filled with unloading filters off a truck (pictured above), four "formal" trainings and then the never ending trainings for the late comers who inevitably came about 45 minutes and were right in between trainings.  Our staff worked hard, and I was proud to call them co-workers. 

 

Each household interested had to purchase a filter for $2.50 to insure they found value in it and weren't going to use it to store fish or some sort of fish by-product, but actually as a water filter.  For some this was weeks of savings.  We even had one student in our catch-up school work extra jobs for 2 weeks to give her mom the $1.80 she was still needing so her family could get a filter. 

 

God is faithful and last Friday ended in a day of praise and thankfulness for all that was done.