In Laos, only two-thirds of the 8,857 primary schools have both water supply and latrine facilities — and most of these schools are located in the more developed cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
But for rural villages like Ban Houehin, a three-hour boat ride away from Luang Prabang, the only source of freshwater is the water well. Coupled with the lack of knowledge of having to boil the water before consumption, villagers often suffer from water-borne illnesses.
During our team’s trip to Ban Houehin, we assisted locals in building a water filter system, which will help remove pathogens and sediments from untreated water. This provides the villagers with cleaner water for daily consumption and use. ∎
Wee Kim Wee School