EMPOWERING CHANGE through drinkable WATER
Water is an indispensable part of healthy living. The people in Laos do not have access to clean drinking water. Their sources of water come from the Mekong River and mountainous areas. Water from these sources is rich in calcium carbonate. Prolonged drinking will lead to kidney stones and eventually kidney failure. Most locals could not afford medical care and even if they do, healthcare is limited. Sad to say, they will eventually succumb to their illness.
The Bio-Sand Filtration is a simple system that allows the locals to access to clean drinking water. This method is adapted from the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) which is based in Calgary, Canada.
The students carried out Project MyLaoWater based on the villages and schools that we had identified. They will then be divided into various groups such as cooking, building the Bio-Sand Filtration system and teaching English to the children (depending on the needs of the village). Furthermore, the students visited the Special Education Needs School for the Deaf and Mute. Lastly, they enjoyed some recreation activities before leaving Luang Prabang.
Schools that had embarked on Project MyLaoWater:
- Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
- National University of Singapore (NUS)
- Lion’s Club
- Ngee Ann Polytechnic
- St.Margarets Secondary School
- Singapore Management University (SMU)
- Nanyang Junior College
