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Clean water in Cambodia

In Cambodia, water needs to be close to home.

Each household has their own set of jars, giant pots kept next to the house that can hold a week or a month’s supply of water. Many communities do not have access to a well with safe water. Some do, but it’s extremely far away; they end up getting water from a dirty pond or spending their income buying it from a truck. It may seem strange that a lush, green country like Cambodia would need clean water points, but the two seasons can be extreme, one with much rain and the other very dry.

Recently in Cambodia, our focus has been on drilling new wells and making clean water accessible to the surrounding households. Having new wells close to homes doesn’t just save people the time and expense they used to spend on getting safe water, it saves them from another danger: landmines. With the highest per capita ratio of amputees in the world, Cambodia is still one of the countries most affected by landmines, with rural communities the most vulnerable.