IRDEP-AR – Sanitation and hygiene remains one of the key health issues in Cambodia. According to Cambodia’s Ministry of Rural Development, in 2010, Cambodia reached 23% in its effort to improve rural sanitation and 40% for clean water supply. The ministry set its target to increase the supply of clean water for rural people by 50% and sanitation by 30% in 2015 and by 100% for both sectors in 2025.
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To support the government to achieve its goal, LWF Cambodia (now LWD), with the strong support from its donors, has shared partly in the work through the integration of “Water and Sanitation Project” into its Country Strategy since 1996. The project aimed to provide poorest rural households with access to clean drinking water and sanitation and hygiene to improve their health.
As of September 2011, LWD supported the construction of 3,517 latrines across its target areas. The success story of Ms. Suy Thim’s family highlighted below is an example of LWD’s success in improving access to rural sanitation.
Ms. Thim, 30, has three daughters and two sons. Her oldest daughter is 12 and youngest one is 6 months old. Thim and her husband Oeun Sokhom, 35, migrated from Thpong district of Kampong Speu province to settle in Trapeang Angkrorng village, Trapeang Chour commune in Aoral district of the same province in 2003.
Ms. Thim became a partner of LWD in mid-2008. With the support from LWD’s Integrated Rural Development through Empowerment Project (IRDEP), the livelihood of Ms. Thim’s family has significantly improved over the years.
She said that she benefited a lot from LWD’s IRDEP through training workshops on agricultural techniques including pig and chicken raising, water and sanitation, health care, food security and nutrition, etc.
Living on a plot of land sized 60m by 40m, without rice field, Ms. Thim earned a living by growing vegetables to sell. On the remaining land around her house, she grew sweet potatoes and cassavas to trade for rice.
The incomes from her vegetable business combined with her valued added knowledge of improved sanitation and hygiene, and nutrition she obtained from the trainings, Ms. Thim made a big success in her family plan.
“Previously, we were unhealthy. We were sick very often. Now, I and my children are healthier than before after we eat more vegetables,” she said.
To further improve her family health, Ms. Thim installed a wet latrine behind her house. The latrine was built in the form of bilateral contribution between LWD and the committed household. LWD provided half bag of cement, four well rings (100 cm in diameter and 50 cm in height), 2 meters of plastic pipe (21 cm in diameter), one ring cover, and one squatting ceramic plate. These key materials cost about $45 in all.
Ms. Thim contributed her labor and local materials for the walls and roof. The contribution in-kind made by the community varies depending on the type of walls and roof they preferred. Their contribution ranges from $40 (palm leaves walls and roof) to $150 (concrete walls and zinc roof).
Improved sanitation contributes to better health, increased education opportunities, safety and dignity, especially for women and girls.
Ms. Thim said she was very happy with her latrine. “It’s easy to use and save us a lot of time,” she said, adding that the environment around her house was improved. Her pigs and chickens live free from diseases.
“Living a healthy life, my children can go to school regularly and they scored highly in class,” she said, adding that her family health care costs decreased, thus making her saving plan possible.
In 2010, Ms. Thim had her new house built. It was worth more than 2 million riels ($500).
“I never smiled or laughed before. But, now I can smile or laugh any time,” she said.