Reedonkao and Nikum Knong…two villages in the countryside outside Battambang City, both with difficult access and, at first sight sparsely populated but in fact home to over 100 families each….. and both lacking the same essential … CLEAN WATER.
The farming and fishing community of Reedonkao is very, very poor. Their only source of income is vegetable growing [cucumber, sweetcorn, peppers, watermelon], many of the houses are in need of repair and until Support Cambodia put in a borewell in late 2019, their only water was the cow pool and the river.
On our first visit there in 2019, the women who gathered to meet us reported common stomach and menstrual problems. All were unanimous they wanted a borewell. So in 2020 we went back to see the new Support Cambodia borewell and were delighted to hear of the vast improvement in health as a result of having a clean water supply. “What would you like next?” we asked. “Bonkun [toilets]” was the instant reply.
And so here they are…not quite finished [and the picture is fuzzy] but very soon Reedonkao will have it’s toilet block, looked after by the community for the benefit of all villagers. Hopefully, before too long, we can go and see it for ourselves.
‘Knong‘ means ‘inside’ and this describes Nikum Knong very well. It’s the central part of the very large district of Nikum, mostly hidden in a forested area amid a labyrinth of apparently identical tiny roads . The families are spread over a wide area so fostering a sense of ‘community’ is not always easy. Here there is no river so water has to be collected in traditional stone pots and by February, it’s gone.
Two borewells, about 2 kilometres apart, were built by other NGOs [non government organisations] but stopped working some years ago . When we visited in February 2020, a lively discussion was held with the villagers [in the gathering dusk!] beside one of the wells and it was agreed Support Cambodia would help the village finance the repair of both wells.
After much delay due to Covid-19, this has now been done and we look forward to pictures of the community enjoying their new water supply.
Neither of these projects could have been completed without ongoing contributions to our WATER FUND. So on behalf of the Reedonkao and Nikum Krong communities heartfelt thanks to all who contribute to the Fund.
Donations to the WATERFUND help Support Cambodia provide a range of essential water-related amenities for poor communities dependent on current need. These include borewells, water connections, toilets, hand wash facilities, water harvesting, Community and Family Water Filters. Apart from water filters [Community £250, Family £35] costs vary enormously depending on location, terrain and size of the project, but you can be sure every dollar spent on a water project is worth it’s weight in gold.