• Domaine :

  Water

• Région :

  Asia

• Pays :

  Cambodia

The project:

Digging of 3 wells in the village of Otasek in Cambodia serving over 105 people.

The request:

Last year, the Coup de Cœur Foundation joined with CASIRA to help poor families in the Cambodian village of Otasek.  Their donation of 700 USD funded the digging of a well, providing water for six familes who previously had to travel long distances several times a day to the closest well.
This year, CASIRA provided fifty poor children from Otasek with school uniforms, school books and pencils before classes began.  Altogether, a total of $ 1,150 USD has been spent on aid for this particular village.
We would like to continue to help the Otasek community and are asking for $1,200 USD to finance the digging of 3 more wells in 3 other parts of the village.
How this project is relevant: 
The village of Otasek is in the Steung Trang district, about 80 kilometers from Kampong Champ, the district’s largest town.  Around 700 poor families live there, far from any resources and with just a sandy trail for a road.  Six families benefit greatly from the well that was dug last year in another part of Otasek.
Other parts of the village are also far from any existing wells.  The Lim Khun, the Hack Lim and the Sok Ruh families (with five and seven members respectively) are in this situation, as well as six other families. 
We would like to dig a well in these 3 parts of the village.  The work would be done manually, as the distance any mechanical equipment would have to travel would make the project too expensive. The cost would not be as much as last year’s project because the ground in these areas is easier to dig. The wells would be twelve meters deep and would enable villagers to access the water with a bucket.  A wooden lid would cover the wells to prevent any possibility of contamination. 
Project transparency and management:
The work will be supervised by Sok Leap An, a Cambodian friend who works in Phnom Penh but will be present during the work.  The village chief has agreed to the project, and I will be there in March or April for the official inaugurations.
Impact:
The digging of these wells will improve the lives of around 105 family members living in parts of the village of Otasek who currently have no well close by.  Access to clean water also reduces the number of illnesses suffered by villagers who don’t drink enough.
CASIRA will be sure to mention your support for these projects in its year-end Cambodia mission report for 2016. Photos of the project’s progress and the official inaugurations will accompany the report.
Ensuring the future of the project:
Acces to these wells will be a very precious resource for the families who will benefit from them.  They have spoken with the village chief to make sure that the wells will be well cared for and well managed.  As this particular region is not served by any NGO, Sok Leap An will represent the villagers and will keep me informed of how the wells are being used during my visits to the village.
Speaking for the families who will benefit from these new wells, for their representative Sok Leap An, and for the village chief who supports this project, I would like to thank you for your financial support for these projects.

Pierre-Jacques Gervais
CASIRA
Project director for CASIRA Cambodia
www.casira.org

Translated by: Annie Filby


  Financial contributions: