Wells - Providing Water to Cambodian Families

Approximately 1.1 billion people in developing countries live without adequate access to water. Water-related improvements must occur in order to meet the United Nation's eigth Millennium Development Goal - to reduce child mortality, and improve health and nutritional status in a sustainable way.

The prevention of disease and the effective strategies to reduce disease and improve health, is the basis for Trailblazer's rural community development through the installation of wells and providing the access to a consistent and abundant water supply.

For those of us who live in developed countries, we can simply turn on a faucet and experience the immediate reward of access to water. In Cambodia, villagers often have to walk long distances to acquire water. That task typically falls to the women, while the men are working to financially support their families. Every day women throughout the world [collectively] spend 200 million hours collecting water.

The time women spend collecting water takes away from the time they have for cooking, cleaning, working, or caring for their children. A community cannot flourish, nor a country develop, if its people are too ill to work and financially provide for their families, or the children are to sick go attend school and obtain an education.

Water is vital to having good personal hygiene, flushing a latrine, washing hands, or bathing. Human survival requires the most basic of needs, water. The lack of water plays a major impact on the health of children, especially, in poor environments. A well offers the ability for regular bathing which improves the hygiene and health of the entire family.

I wish to thank all our donors who have contributed to our Health program by donating a well. To date, we have already completed 30% of the 100 wells on our 2018 well drilling schedule. These families are happy to have access to a year-round supply of water. They have new hope for better health, the ability to earn an income, and for their children to get an education.

Thank you for being part of making this significant difference in the lives of hundreds of rural families each year.