Focused Sector(s): Water, Sanitation
Project: Provision of Clean Water and Poverty Alleviation
Date and duration: August 2009 – May 2010 (10 months)
Location: Empat Jurai Sub-district, Pesisir Selatan District, West Sumatra Province
Beneficiaries: 3,062 villagers from 652 households
Problem(s)
- Nagari Lumpo consists of impoverished farmers with an average income of IDR 500,000 (S$66)
- The existing pump and piping used to channel water from a nearby mountain did not have sufficient capacity and was unable to provide water for the entire community
- The poor quality of water from the wells in the sub-district was causing gastro-intestinal infections such as diarrhoea
Intervention and Impact
- Replaced all pre-existing pipes with ones that were suitably sized and fitted with regulator valves to accommodate the expansion of the water system and ensure that water reached everyone in the community
- Charged only a nominal fee to connect houses to the new water distribution network
- As a result, five other villages now have access to clean, potable water at home. There are also fewer water-related medical conditions, leading to increased household savings through fewer lost work days and reduced spending on medical bills.
- To help alleviate poverty, Mercy Relief set up a cooperative to run micro-enterprise development programmes for women. By supplying groups of women with training to develop their business knowledge on livestock rearing, the dependence on crops was reduced. A more diversified flow of income also helped improve household economic levels.
Cost: S$180,000
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