For years, Vong and the 25 families in his village lived with a quiet, daily struggle. In their rural Cambodian community, the only water available came from murky ponds or expensive vendors, which meant sources were often contaminated and never reliable. As the village chief, Vong watched his neighbors suffer through bouts of dengue fever and stomach ailments, while families spent their limited savings on water that wasn’t even safe to drink.
That changed when a new hand-pump well was installed. But the real transformation began when the community stepped up to manage it themselves.
A Committee Built for Independence
Vong knew that if their well broke, they couldn’t just wait for an outsider to come fix it. So, they formed a six-member Water Supply and Sanitation Committee to take full responsibility for their new resource.
“It is set up as a group of committee with 6 members in total,” Vong says. “I am the director of the committee. Three other members are managing with finance, collecting, keeping and spending. While the last 2 members oversee the overall maintenance.”
Every single member completed specialized training coordinated by Water for Good to handle repairs locally. “All our 6 members have learned the technical repairing methods and maintenance, replacing spare parts, coordinated by Water for Good,” Vong noted.
To keep the system funded, Vong walks from door to door once every two months to collect user fees. When a part wears down, there is no waiting period or delay. “I call out our committee members for repair whenever there is a need of fixing,” Vong explained, adding that they “will act quickly to avoid obstruction.” Instead of calling formal meetings, Vong simply talks with residents about water decisions at the well during peak morning and evening hours.
Life Blossoms Close to Home
With a reliable source of safe water just 200 meters away, the community has seen a dramatic shift. Children are back in school, and families are investing the money they used to spend on water vendors into crops and livestock to generate new income.
For women and girls, the proximity of the pump has replaced fear with peace of mind. “Our women and girls feel much relieved and without fear, as they can use the water at the water point anytime nearby their home,” Vong said.
The profound nature of this local ownership is best seen in the community’s most vulnerable homes. Vong points to an elderly woman who heads her household and previously struggled just to survive.
“There is an elderly-woman-headed family who had almost nothing to eat. When she got a new water point closer to her house, her life has changed completely,” Vong said. “The water makes her life more convenient. Her emotion and hope of life have been blossoming. A joy of life has burst within the family.“
By taking full responsibility for their infrastructure, Vong and his neighbors have secured more than just safe water, they have built a lasting foundation for local health and independence.
