The village of Ban Mae Tia is home to over 1000 people and KHT’s team worked with the villagers to construct a new WASH System this summer to ensure they would have access to cleaner water.
Su Phot is a 45-year-old Karen farmer with two children. His youngest daughter is studying at university and his son is a soldier. Su Phot helped in the construction of our WASH system and he told us that life in the village has been very difficult.
We help each other and we were happy to help building KHT’s project. We organised ourselves so there would be enough people every day and so we could also do our own farming. I have to grow rice to feed myself and my family but without more water, it is the only thing I can grow.
Su Phot
The village is near a main road which means it is better connected and why it is so densely populated. However, like many Karen villages, it is still neglected when it comes to vital infrastructure and economic support.
The older government water system was no longer safe and did not provide enough water as the village has increased in size since it was built decades ago.
We have needed this help for a long time but because we are a big village, no one has wanted to help us. Water is the most important issue that we need help with. Water is very important for life. The latrines help our health and make our lives easier.
Su Phot
In addition to the WASH System, KHT also carried out its hygiene education and provided recommendations and knowledge to help them improve their hygiene, protect themselves from Covid-19 and how best to keep the new latrines cleaner and usable.
KHT are very grateful that the Karen villagers were eager to help with the labour-intensive construction and organised themselves to provide support every day. Up to 30 people volunteered each day with our hardworking WASH Team and the size of the project reflects the amount of water needed for such a large village.
We hope to see many improvements in the years to come. I hope I will feel more secure in the dry season with this water access. It will make an impact on our families and each generation living here!
Su Phot
KHT has also supported families in the village through our Student Scholarships Programme and we hope to see many positive improvements for the residents of Ban Mae Tia in the coming months and years!
The project in Ban Mae Tia was challenging but is a vital form of support for a growing and neglected community. You can help us reach more villages across Mae Hong Son by donating to our WASH Programme today!