Philanthropic Travelers provide clean water in Burma

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Philanthropic Travelers provide clean water in Burma

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Drinking fresh water in Burma by David Chamberlain

Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel does not organize travel to Myanmar, and has never sent anyone to Myanmar. Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel has traveled to Myanmar on a fact finding mission and have supported a vetted non profit organization that brings much needed fresh water to a community there. However, Exquisite Safaris does not organize travel to Myanmar at this time.

The world water crisis is one of the largest public health issues of our time. If all the earth's water fit in a gallon jug, available fresh water would equal just over a tablespoon.

Exquisite Safaris Water Projects Burma:

BACKGROUND: The Bagan area in the middle of Myanmar is in an arid zone. Despite the Irrawaddy flowing through the area, sources for clear water were terribly scarce. Villagers had to spend a large amount of time and effort to collect clean water from sources 4-5 miles away.

CULTURE OF APPRECIATION: The Burmese traditional and common belief is that those who donate water to the needy will invariably reap exceptional benefits, such as personal health, prosperity, faithfulness from associates and well wishers, etc. We can still hear the grateful village folks, especially elderly women muttering words of blessing and good wishes to all involved in water well projects.

PROJECTS:
Submersible Pump Tube-Well Project at Thu-Htay-Kan Village
Exquisite Safaris and partners have successfully set up a tube-well equipped with 3HP submersible pump which is run by 23HP engine and 10kW generator. The construction also includes a storage tank of 3500 gallons capacity.

Although the works were carried out as a completed project, we have experienced some challenges and it took several months to finish. However, the villagers appreciate the value of the well as they do not need to go 1 to 2 miles for water under the blazing sun and do not need to depend totally on the pond where water is available only during the rainy season. Now, the well stands as a source of clean water which greatly contributes not only toward health and sanitation for the village community but also toward the enhancement of their socio-economic level.

After completion of the well the villagers requested to build an extension storage tank measuring 10' x 6' x 4' at the entrance of the village, some 650 feet from the well. In addition, we provided a small tank for the school adjacent to the well measuring 6' x 3' x 3', some 80 feet from the well. Now the villagers challenge lays with the operating cost. The diesel to operate the well costs US$ 80 per month. Therefore they are not able to operate the pumps on their own due to the cost of diesel. Therefore, we have also supplied one barrel diesel (50 gals) per month which covers about 25 days of operation in a month for the past months. Now, starting from December 2003, we will supply only one barrel for two months.

In July 2004 we learned that in a nearby village their submersible pump was out of order and the people who rely on that tube well now come to the Thu-Htay-Kan well for water. We have currently provided one barrel of diesel (50 gallons) for a two months supply. The village charges 10 Kyat for 16 gallons (carried on by hand with two 4 gallon drums x 2 times), and for one barrel of water (48 gallons) on a bullock cart, the charge is 30 Kyat to cover the diesel expense. With this money, and the half barrel of diesel we provide each month they are able to run the well.

April 12, 2005 - After two years of discussion we have been successful getting electricity from a transformer across the street from Dhamayazika Pagoda to power the pump. The final cost for all the above was approximately US$8,300.

Hand Pump Well at Thit-Htauk-Kyun Village
The Thuhtaykan well is expensive, and using a generator will create operating expense problems long term, we have set up a simple version of a hand pump well at Thit-Htaunk-Kyun Village, located on a highway about 10 miles from Bagan. The well and the pump now are functioning well. The total for the well is about US$ 700 and the balance of US$ 100 that was provided will be used for the maintenance of the well.

A Third Well installed in the village of Aunk-Nyint
We recently received US$ 800 from another donor for a hand pump well near Bagan. This was installed in the village of Aunk-Nyint. In July 2004 our representative reported: Donation for a new tube well in the vicinity of Bagan was approved in early 2003 and the funds (US$ 800) were delivered in Nov 2003. The school and the villagers asked us to provide a tube well with compressor instead of a tube well with hand pump. The village leader and the elders assured us that from the village fund they will supply the necessary diesel and look after maintenance when it is finished. The capacity of the new storage tank is about 700 gallons and the compressor pumps water at the rate of 420 gallons per hour. The fuel consumption is above 6 hrs. per gallon. The depth of the well is 105 feet. The villagers, and especially the students, are very happy to have the tube well as it provides water for their daily needs. The total expense was US$ 700. $100 remains available for future projects and/or maintenance of this well.

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WATER CRISIS WORLDWIDE:Worldwide, nearly 1.1 billion people (roughly 20% of the world's population) lack access to safe drinking water [1]. The lack of clean, safe drinking water is estimated to kill almost 4,500 children per day [2]. In fact, out of the 2.2 million unsafe drinking water deaths in 2004, 90% were children under the age of five [3]. Water is essential to the treatment of diseases, something especially critical for children.

This problem isn't just confined to a particular region of the planet, it is a world wide issue. A third of the Earth's population lives in 'water stressed' countries and that number is expected to rise dramatically over the next two decades [4]. The crisis is worst in developing nations, especially in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The world water crisis is created by a confluence of factors including climate and geography, lack of water systems and infrastructure, and inadequate sanitation, something that 2.6 billion people (40% of the world's population) lack access to [5]. Some of these countries have additional problems, including high levels of arsenic and fluoride in drinking water [6].

Even with these unsanitary conditions, many women and young girls in rural areas in Sub-Saharan African and other parts of the world must trek as much as six miles everyday to retrieve water for their families [7]. Due to this manual labor, such women and children are prevented from pursuing an education, maintaining their households or earning additional income [8].

Thus, the lack of clean water, coupled with the lack of basic sanitation and a dearth of hygiene education, is one of the largest obstacles to progress and development in these regions and across the world. The UN has prioritized water access among its Millennium Development Goals because it contributes to such widespread suffering, including increased poverty, high child mortality rates, depressed education levels, and political instability. Without question, the world water crisis condemns billions of people to a perpetual struggle to survive at the subsistence level,[9] thus inspiring millions to engage and alleviate this problem. Every time you travel with Exquisite Safaris, you can make a difference.

Sources: [1] WaterAid, 2005 [2] UNICEF/WHO Water for Life, Making it Happen, 2005 [3] UNICEF/WHO Water for Life, Making it Happen, 2005 [4] BBC News October 19, 2004 [5] UNICEF/WHO Water for Life, Making it Happen, 2005 [6] Department of International Development, Water Action Plan, March 2004 [7] UNESCO/ International Year of Fresh Water 2003 [8] UNESCO/ International Year of Fresh Water 2003 [9] UNICEF/WHO Water for Life, Making it Happen, 2005

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