Safe water, safe life ...
People living on “four thousand islands” in Laos depend on the mighty Mekong, which surrounds them; which is the source of water, food; which gives them the access to the mainland.
However, the Mekong is also a huge risk. It is increasingly more polluted so its waters are no longer safe to drink… however people keep on using the Mekong water to cook, wash themselves or even brush their teeth. Further, the strong currents and nearby waterfalls pose a danger as well, in particular for those who can’t swim.
That is why I continued to focus my project on safe water. Having installed water filters in all the schools, I worked with the chief of the village to select families who were in need of water filters. Last time, I brought 25 filters that were delivered to the households. However, I realised that not all who needed the filters the most, received them.
So this time I decided to do the screening myself. I visited myself Ban Nok, the poorest village on the island, and peeked into the houses on the stilts. Walking though the village, I looked for the poorest houses, for the families with numerous children who seemed to be most disadvantaged and asked them to put their name on the list. For those, who did not know how to write themselves, I asked one of my former students to write their names in my copybook. I asked everyone to come to the place where I stayed next day in the afternoon , so I could distribute the filters.
Then in the morning I went with my friend – captain Vixai to the mainland to pick up the filters. The delivery came as always from Terra Clear. We loaded the filters on the boat and brought them onto the island. At 4pm all chosen families came to Vixai’s place. It was so important that they put on their best clothes, as if they came to the temple. Vixai prepared a wide space with a table, so I could give a presentation and explain how to use and maintain the filters. I asked the families to use the filtered water not only to drink, but also when cooking or brushing their teeth. I explained how important it is to drink fresh water, in particular when it is so hot. It was heart-warming to see the families proudly picking up filters when hearing their names and looking at them taking the filters homes.
Next morning I visited the families. The filters, placed at centre of the houses, were all set up. It was great to think that they may change these people's lives, make them safer…
Safer also means to be able to swim. That is why I also continued to teach swimming. I took the Little Girl again to the nearby hotel pool and was happy to see that eventually she grasped the technique of the breaststroke. Such swimming classes could be organised on much broader scale, as even captain Vixai, who daily runs the boat between the mainland and numerous islands, himself cannot swim. If something happened to the boat, he would be at risk being taken by the current ….
Last but not least, I was pleased to see that the bathroom built back in 2013 at the nearby school is well in use. Children do wash their hands and during hot schooldays, they also use it to refresh themselves, splashing water over their faces…
However, the Mekong is also a huge risk. It is increasingly more polluted so its waters are no longer safe to drink… however people keep on using the Mekong water to cook, wash themselves or even brush their teeth. Further, the strong currents and nearby waterfalls pose a danger as well, in particular for those who can’t swim.
That is why I continued to focus my project on safe water. Having installed water filters in all the schools, I worked with the chief of the village to select families who were in need of water filters. Last time, I brought 25 filters that were delivered to the households. However, I realised that not all who needed the filters the most, received them.
So this time I decided to do the screening myself. I visited myself Ban Nok, the poorest village on the island, and peeked into the houses on the stilts. Walking though the village, I looked for the poorest houses, for the families with numerous children who seemed to be most disadvantaged and asked them to put their name on the list. For those, who did not know how to write themselves, I asked one of my former students to write their names in my copybook. I asked everyone to come to the place where I stayed next day in the afternoon , so I could distribute the filters.
Then in the morning I went with my friend – captain Vixai to the mainland to pick up the filters. The delivery came as always from Terra Clear. We loaded the filters on the boat and brought them onto the island. At 4pm all chosen families came to Vixai’s place. It was so important that they put on their best clothes, as if they came to the temple. Vixai prepared a wide space with a table, so I could give a presentation and explain how to use and maintain the filters. I asked the families to use the filtered water not only to drink, but also when cooking or brushing their teeth. I explained how important it is to drink fresh water, in particular when it is so hot. It was heart-warming to see the families proudly picking up filters when hearing their names and looking at them taking the filters homes.
Next morning I visited the families. The filters, placed at centre of the houses, were all set up. It was great to think that they may change these people's lives, make them safer…
Safer also means to be able to swim. That is why I also continued to teach swimming. I took the Little Girl again to the nearby hotel pool and was happy to see that eventually she grasped the technique of the breaststroke. Such swimming classes could be organised on much broader scale, as even captain Vixai, who daily runs the boat between the mainland and numerous islands, himself cannot swim. If something happened to the boat, he would be at risk being taken by the current ….
Last but not least, I was pleased to see that the bathroom built back in 2013 at the nearby school is well in use. Children do wash their hands and during hot schooldays, they also use it to refresh themselves, splashing water over their faces…
.... distributing smiles
The project is about saving lives, about hygiene, education and safety… however what is the most rewarding is the smiles it brings.
That is why when visiting Don Een island to check up the water filter and the bathroom installed some time ago, I decided to give a short English class. The kids loved the exercises with English alphabet and a World’s map and even more some rewards they got for good answers: Polish candies and soap bubbles. In return they offered the most amazing smiles :)
When picking up the filters, I decided to buy two bicycles, one for the Little Girl and the other for my former student, who helped me creating the list of the families, who would get the filters. This way, the girls will be able to go to school by bike, which will save them roughly 2 hours each day… as walking to school takes around half an hour and they always go back home at noon for lunch. As there are many bikes for tourists on the island, we put their names on the bikes. I painted them in English, and the girls on the other side of the frame in Lao. They were so happy. Day after, I saw both of them heading to school on their new bikes. The older one, had her younger sister on the back…
And finally, I continued to work with the Vietnamese hospital “New Life”, that last year opened the small clinic in Paksé - 140km north of my islands. I sent Little Girl’s father , who had been diagnosed last time with diabetes, for a treatment and set up a check-up visit for him and the Little Girl in a month’s time….
That is why when visiting Don Een island to check up the water filter and the bathroom installed some time ago, I decided to give a short English class. The kids loved the exercises with English alphabet and a World’s map and even more some rewards they got for good answers: Polish candies and soap bubbles. In return they offered the most amazing smiles :)
When picking up the filters, I decided to buy two bicycles, one for the Little Girl and the other for my former student, who helped me creating the list of the families, who would get the filters. This way, the girls will be able to go to school by bike, which will save them roughly 2 hours each day… as walking to school takes around half an hour and they always go back home at noon for lunch. As there are many bikes for tourists on the island, we put their names on the bikes. I painted them in English, and the girls on the other side of the frame in Lao. They were so happy. Day after, I saw both of them heading to school on their new bikes. The older one, had her younger sister on the back…
And finally, I continued to work with the Vietnamese hospital “New Life”, that last year opened the small clinic in Paksé - 140km north of my islands. I sent Little Girl’s father , who had been diagnosed last time with diabetes, for a treatment and set up a check-up visit for him and the Little Girl in a month’s time….