The Power of Rainwater, supporting the poorest and most marginalized families in accessing safe drinking water in Stung Thmei village, Pramouy commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province, Cambodia
１． Project site
Stung Thmei village, Pramouy commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province, Cambodia
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２． Number of expected beneficiaries
652 beneficiaries
（Direct） Received rainwater systems, attended awareness sessions: 244（including 114 women）
（Indirect） Taught through after-school sessions or door-to-door visits: 408（including 178 women）
３． Local partner
RainWater Cambodia(RWC) www.rainwatercambodia-rwc.org
４． Project description
The project period was from July, 2024 to January, 2025. After six months the project was going as planned. RWC worked closely with the local stakeholders in the community, including district, commune and village focal points on implementation of the project, including discussions, a training workshop, construction of rainwater harvesting systems, and other events. The key results of the project are installation of physical water infrastructure, and knowledge transfer to village focal points, schoolteachers and Stung Thmei villagers on the rainwater harvesting safety plan.
【Outputs】
- Project introduction meeting
- Assessment visits, identification and selection of recipient households
- Introduction meeting with recipient households
- Procurement of materials and selection of local masons for construction
- Training workshop on the rainwater harvesting safety plan
- 20 rainwater harvesting systems constructed, and O&M training workshops held
- Household visits conducted by village focal points
- Village and school water safety plan campaign
- Handover of project and certification
【Challenges】
- Heavy rainfall and inclement weather： Heavy rainfall affected the project. The RWC team advised that temporary plastic roofs be installed at the construction sites so that masons could continue to work in the rain.
- Number of participants in the village water safety plan campaign: 25 out of the expected 50 attended, since most residents were probably busy with rice harvesting and farming. However, the project team has shared a link to the video documentary with participants in order to promote it to many villagers, schoolteachers, and others.
５．Summary of project activities
1) Project launch meeting
Background information on the project was presented to stakeholders at Stung Thmei primary school on 22nd August.
2) Selection of recipient households
Door-to-door visits following a draft list prepared by village focal points started in late August and successfully finalized 20 households, with 102 recipients. A contribution fee of 100,000 Riels (US$25, or 12.5% of total costs of US$200 per system)1 was collected from each recipient household.
[1] An average monthly income of a Stung Thmei villager is reported around USD150・22,500J-yen.
３) Installation of rainwater harvesting systems and operations and maintenance training
Masons were engaged and received training from RWC to construct rainwater harvesting systems in Stung Thmei. Construction was launched on 19th September and completed by 26th November. Monitoring, supervision and validation of the construction were conducted on 27th September and 11th October by a variety of participants, including recipients, focal points, commune councilors, and masons.
RWC conducted operations and maintenance training for the rainwater harvesting system, including the water safety plan for recipients on 9th November, 2024. 21 participants attended, including 15 women. The main objectives of the training were as follows:
- To increase knowledge on maintenance practices, planning and operations.
- To prepare the operations and maintenance plan.
- To provide knowledge on using chlorine for disinfecting the rainwater tank after construction.
４) Training session on the Water Safety Plan (WSP) and rainwater safety plan
On 12th September, Water Safety Plan (WSP) training for village focal points and school staff was held at Stung Thmei primary school. There were ten participants, including two women and three school staff members. The training provided an introduction to the WSP, focusing on four key steps:
- Water Sources: Participants learned how to assess and identify potential risks to water sources, such as contamination and other hazards.
- Water Collection: Safe practices for collecting water were taught, emphasizing the use of clean equipment and methods of preventing contamination.
- Water Storage: The importance of proper water storage was highlighted, including the use of clean, covered containers to ensure water quality.
- Safe Drinking Water: The final step covered methods such as boiling and filtration to ensure that stored water is safe for consumption.
５) Door-to-door visits
The village’s focal points conducted door-to-door visits with training materials after attending the training session on the water safety plan. Thirty households, of which twenty were recipients of rainwater systems, were visited. The focal points shared information and discussed the water safety plan, focusing on the key messages: (I) safe sources, (ii) safe storage, (iii) drinking treated water. They explained the advantages of the risk-managed model of rainwater harvesting and the jumbo jar system being installed at the households, including convenience, safety, and the availability of local masons for installation. The school staff who participated in the training workshop shared their knowledge with the children through the school’s teaching program, focusing on the water safety plan and its health benefits.
６) Awareness-raising campaign for local residents and school children on the water safety plan
（１）Village meeting campaign – 18th November, 2024
In Cambodia, the dry season extends from November to May, with very little rainfall and continuous hot weather. Water consumption is higher than during the rainy season. Education was necessary to encourage the community to conserve water and use it wisely. The campaign included a video documentary produced by BBC Media Action, entitled Don’t Wait for the Rain:
https://youtu.be/CORDA-kl98M?si=9SSpTXpvQ7xtsZcP
The video covers:
- The situation of families in coastal zones, their socio-economic situation and the overall landscape regarding saltwater contamination.
- The situation regarding access to water supplies, and the related risks and consequences.
- The model of risk-managed rainwater harvesting systems used by RainWater Cambodia.
- The installation plan with a recipient family
- Installation of a double jar rainwater harvesting system
- What to do in the dry season.
- Operations and maintenance
- How to install the first flush system.
- Overall impressions by the family using this system.
The village campaign went well, and participants expressed great interest in the video documentary showing the situation, problems, solutions and operations-maintenance of the rainwater harvesting system provided to the family. Further action points were raised regarding the dry season, since rainwater is the main source for drinking and cooking than other domestic uses.
（２）Water safety plan campaign in Stung Thmei primary school – 9th January, 2025
The water safety plan campaign among school children was conducted in Stung Thmei on 9th January, 2024, with 83 students, including 40 girls. The school staff had received training support from RWC and conducted the mainstreaming of key messages on the water safety plan to all classes. The campaign was aimed at providing an understanding of the level of water safety plans in the school and sharing key messages encouraging further actions and increasing knowledge on the topic. Mr. Nong Boroth, RWC project assistant, facilitated the campaign. The initial stage involved brainstorming on the daily activities of the children: washing their faces, brushing their teeth, bathing, washing clothes, traveling to school, having meals, washing dishes, reading books, doing homework, drinking water, and washing hands. Of those key activities, seven out of ten involved the use of water. Therefore, the children were encouraged to consider “What is clean water?” and “What is safe water?”, as framed by the facilitator. Most of the students gave good answers and received gifts from the project as incentives, such as books and pens. There were number of additional questions discussed by the children, such as, “What are the problems you have seen regarding water use in the community?” “What are their consequences?” and “How can these problems be addressed?” Some of the children bravely answered and won prizes provided by RWC. The facilitator presented the water safety plan with a focus on the main goals of safe sources, safe storage, and safe usage. These were further broken down into three different sources of water: surface water, underground water, and rainwater. Mr. Teng Phearom, the project officer, expanded on the operations and maintenance of those main water sources, which ensure that everyone can access safe water. Further key messages to be repeated and added to the school curriculum were:
- Using clean water at school and home.
- Adopting the key messages from the water safety plan.
- Using water efficiently, such as by managing rainwater for drinking and cooking only during the dry season.
The campaign was a success, and all the students actively participated in the question-and-answer session and listened to the facilitators. In addition, further key action points were defined and put into the school program for future implementation. Those key messages were shared among the students and staff of all classes, comprising 210 students, 75 of whom are girls.
７) Chlorination and water quality testing
（１）Chlorination at rainwater harvesting facilities
Chlorine was added to the rainwater harvesting systems of all recipient families from 20th November 2024 by the project team and village focal points, who had received training.
（２）Laboratory water quality testing
Water quality testing was divided into two phases: before and after chlorination. Water sample collection was conducted, following laboratory norms and practices. The water samples were transferred to the ACTA-BIO lab in Phnom Penh in accordance with regulation ISO9308.
【Before chlorination】
On 20th November, 2024, water samples were collected from two recipient families and sent to the laboratory in Phnom Penh. They met the standards recommended in Cambodia, except for Coliform bacteria present in sample #01 (1.2x102MPN/100ml) and sample #2 (2.4x102MPN/100ml).
【After chlorination】
On 16th December, 2024, water samples were collected from both families and again tested for Coliform bacteria, the results were negative.
８) Inauguration and handing over of the project
（１）Handover ceremony
A handover ceremony took place on 9th January, 2025 at Stung Thmei village with project stakeholders, including district administration, commune council, village chief, community protected area committee and school staff, totaling thirteen participants, including four women. The main objectives of the project were described as: increasing access to safe water for the poorest and most marginalized families with rainwater harvesting systems and increasing awareness among residents and school children on safe water. The meeting’s closing agenda was: (i) present on the progress and key findings of the project (ii) delegate further follow-up support to local authorities in the district and commune of Pramouy. Mr. Pheng Kea, executive director of RWC, provided opening remarks and expressed thanks for all the support, commitment and efforts that had made the project successful. Mr. Teng Phearom, the project officer, made a presentation on project updates, progress, key lessons learned, and further discussion on the delegation of tasks among local authorities. The presentation highlighted the strengths of the project as follows:
- Strong cooperation with local authorities
- School staff and principal provided strong support by offering a venue for project activities, and by disseminating the key messages of water safety plans in the school curriculum.
- Local masons were engaged in the construction of rainwater harvesting systems.
- The Khmer-Islamic community expressed great appreciation and respect for the rainwater to Allah, their God.
The key tasks to be delegated to local authorities were supporting recipient families with sustainable rainwater harvesting operations and maintenance, ensuring water efficiency, and providing water safety plans for school children and residents. All key actors, including recipient families, district and commune authorities, village authorities, and school staff, agreed and were happy to keep moving forward with the above actions. The meeting was successful, as all the participants expressed their great appreciation for the remarkable outcomes of the project, including rainwater harvesting systems, capacity building and knowledge transfer to village focal points, school staff and school children. The Khmer-Islam residents of the village were especially pleased with the supply of rainwater, as they can use it for praying, besides drinking and cooking.
RWC is keenly interested in seeking more resources to support further projects not only in Stung Thmei village but also in many other villages in the Veal Veng district. We look forward to working together again.
（２）Certification
Certification was offered to the commune councilor of Pramouy during the handover meeting. A letter was offered for the official closing and transferred to local authorities for continuing with follow-up support.
６．Voices of the beneficiaries
１） Mr. Sous Muser
Age 73, farmer, rainwater harvest system recipient
His family is Muslim and has just recently arrived in the village from Phnom Penh. Fishing was his main occupation. The family previously relied on rainwater and water purchased from vendors, as they are located far from the main road. Mr. Muser confirmed that he had been most concerned about seeking water before receiving this new rainwater harvesting system. Since the rainwater harvesting system was installed at his house, he and his family are happy to have a water supply and to have gained knowledge on the water safety plan.
2) Mr. Thach Promthor
Age 72, farmer, rainwater harvest system recipient
Age 72, farmer, rainwater harvest system recipient
The family had previously relied on buying water from a tanker truck which obtained water from a small river near village. Mr. Mao Theang (in the red shirt), water safety plan village focal point conducted the visit and shared the key principles of the water safety plan. Mr. Promthor confirmed that he is happy to have received a 3000L jumbo jar for harvesting rainwater. His family will not need to spend much money on water. He vowed to take care of operations and maintenance to ensure long-term benefits to his family and would like to express his sincere thanks to the project and the donors who supported his family and community of Stung Thmei.
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【Contact info】
Japan Water Forum
TEL: +81-(0)3-5645-8040 Fax: +81-(0)3-5645-8041
E-mail: office［at］waterforum.jp *Please change［at］to @
(Reported by Takejiro Suzuki, Project Manager)
