China: Building Back Better

April 2009, Caochuan, China
Jin Bo, UNICEF International

On a chilly morning He Tingting, 12, carrying a plastic bucket, walks to the water point in her courtyard and turns the tap. For many people around the world turning a tap to get water is not unusual. For He Tingting, however, it is a luxury that she previously had only seen on TV.

Lacking access to safe water had always been a headache for villagers in Caochuan. Then a UNICEF-supported water supply system built in this mountain village changed everything.

For generations villagers had to walk more than 3km to a creek to fetch water, in a round trip that would take about an hour. Because it was the only water source for the whole village the line was usually long, so they would have to wait by the creek before they could collect their water and return home. The time given to fetching water meant less time for other chores, work and free time. It was also difficult to carry enough water home for the day. The 125 litres that He Tingting's father and his mule could carry between them, was not very much when needed each day for washing, drinking and cooking.

"I have always been very careful not to waste any water, because I know it is very precious," said He Tingting.

After a severe earthquake hit the province, UNICEF has been helping to build water supply systems as part of a campaign to 'build back better.' The project in Caochuan, brings water to each of the village's 270 households, as well as to Caochuan Primary School, where He Tingting is attending fifth grade.

"There is a temporary tap stand on our campus," says He Tingting. "During class breaks, when our hands get dirty, we will all go there to wash."

The temporary stand will be upgraded to a permanent one.

He Tingting and her classmates are pleased because they have more time for fun without the chore of fetching water from the creek like their parents. They know that water is a precious resource and enjoy having it close by.

From the UNICEF International Website





     

Floods in Laos: Getting Safe Water to Families

Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, September 2008
Simon Ingram, UNICEF International

Sengtun Vongsay is the principal of the Sendin Village Primary school in Lao PDR. Since he got the job, he has had many opportunities to reflect on the destructive force of the nearby Nam Ngum River.

Now he stands beside the outside wall of the school's main classroom block and points to a grubby tidemark that runs across the pink plaster work about 30 centimetres above his head.

"The water came up to here this time," says Mr. Vongsay. "It stayed there for more than a fortnight before it began to recede."

A glance inside the classrooms reveals the damage the murky waters left behind: wide cracks and holes have opened in the concrete floor, which is covered in a thick layer of slime.

Wooden desks and benches lie broken in a sodden heap. For the time being, pupils from damaged classrooms have been squeezed into the school's other block, which sits on higher ground and was less seriously flooded.

"We managed to move the books out in time," says Mr. Vongsay. "But it's going to be quite a job to get the place repaired and ready for use again."

The house belonging to one villager, Ms. Boualaphanh, 42, was engulfed by floodwaters that at one point reached two metres deep.

"We were marooned for days on the second floor," says the mother of two. "We managed to buy just enough water to drink for the first two days. Then we managed to find a boat to take us to the dispensary where we got more." Ms. Boualaphanh, together with her daughter and two year old granddaughter, joined other villagers at the temple close to the river bank.

Water containers, soap, chlorine tablets and other life-saving hygiene supplies provided by UNICEF were being handed out to families worst-affected by the floods. As in most flooding emergencies, it's the shortage of safe water that's the most pressing problem. Diseases carried by dirty water are an invisible threat. It is important for the villagers to use only clean water for washing, drinking and cooking so that they prevent the spread of these diseases.

Therefore, repairing the ground wells that have been filled with dirty floodwater is a critical issue. Engineers from Nam Saat are going around the village helping well owners flush out gallons of brown water from each well.

"The wells are very dirty after the flooding, so people cannot use them," said UNICEF worker Bandith Leuanvilav. "So we come down and demonstrate to them how to empty the well and how to use chlorine in the right way to ensure that the water is clean."

The villagers are grateful that the floodwaters have receded. It seems odd that such an excess of water can cause a water shortage. Without the intervention from UNICEF, a shortage of clean water would threaten to cause further damage to the village. Instead, they are now ready to begin cleaning up the damaged classrooms at the school and the houses that need repair.