Many of us are taught as children to practice proper hygiene through methods such as washing our hands regularly. Numerous hygiene-related topics find their way into our consciousness early on, and that is for a good reason: washing hands helps avoid infections and is therefore the simplest and best defense strategy.
Up to eighty percent of common infections are spread by hands, such as colds, the flu, and several gastrointestinal diseases. Regular hand hygiene interrupts this transmission process and provides crucial protection to everyone.
In our developed world, this protection is granted to us due to widespread access to clean drinking water and the general availability of sanitary facilities, toilets, and a functioning sewage system.
However, this is not the case in underdeveloped countries such as Cambodia.
Cambodia is striving to improve water and hygiene standards in the country, but the United Nations Sustainable Development goals are still far from being met, especially in rural areas.
According to the UN, eight out of ten people in rural Cambodia have to defecate in fields or open water due to the lack of toilets and other sanitary facilities. This human waste then contaminates water sources and sets the spread of pathogens and diseases in motion. One in three Cambodians drink water from unfiltered water sources, which means that at this point they may come into contact with human waste.
Children are particularly affected by the effects of poor hygiene in Cambodia, as diarrhea can be life-threatening for them. Seven out of ten elementary schools have no access to clean drinking water or sanitary facilities.
Thomlang – Cambodian Youth Support joined forces with a local NGO named Clear Cambodia to help improve hygiene standards in Cambodia.
Together, we funded the construction of a water system and handwashing station at the Teb Vimean Primary School in rural Kampot.
133 primary school students, 8 teachers, and several families in the nearby area benefit directly from this project, as this is the first time they are able to access clean drinking water for both consumption and general hygiene.
Donate to CYS today and support our work with impactful projects like this in rural Cambodia!
Sources and Image Attributes:
https://www.unicef.org/cambodia/water-sanitation-and-hygiene
https://www.wateraid.org/au/articles/mekong-life-through-the-lens-of-a-local
https://www.justadrop.org/cambodia