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Hi Everybody!
Happy New Year. Yes, let's make it a great one. In Cambodia we're off to a good start with the building of two more latrines. It's a real positive note of real significant success of our Cambodia Sanitation Project. As I mentioned some time ago, we had planned to start this project that supplies latrines to many needed families in poor rural areas. Since then I've been getting the word out, and more interest has been developing. Specifically, I have over the holidays received funds to cover two more latrines. In the photos to the left you can see construction photos of these two most recent latrines for the Mom Pheng and Phon Phal families - funded entirely by a local construction company, K. Pinson Stairs.
Good sanitation is essential for health and well being, but it's not the norm in rural Cambodia. Old habits of poor hygiene, of using open fields in elimination of body waste, are still wide spread. The result is the contamination of streams and soils, the spread of disease, high rates of infant and young child mortality, and heavy caseloads of diarrhea and other infections.
According to the World Bank's Sanitation program (2008) only about 17% of Cambodian rural poor households have access to improved sanitation facilities, and by other studies it shows that among the very poor, fewer than 5% have access to a decent toilet facility. I'm extremely pleased that we are able to provide a small measure of assistance in this complex issue.
We're still raising funds to build more latrines for families in need. The cost for one latrine is $200. If you would like to assist in this area simply click the link below to reach our donate page. Mention "latrine sponsorship" in the "comments" section below the credit card information. You can do a one-time donation for the full amount, or do a monthly payment plan, as some donors have done. It will make a world of difference for a poor family.
Take care for now.
Niels
Niels Lund
Executive Director
Microloans For Mothers
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