Ms. Sone is a 47 year old Kha Mu woman living in Lahang-Mok Mang Village, Phongsaly. There are four members in the Sone family, one girl, and their main occupation is farming. Ms. Sone is just one of the members of the community benefiting from the new water supply system. In the past, the Son family had a lot of difficulty collecting and using water at home. Since there was not enough water, their hygiene was not as good as it should have been. They also wasted a lot of time getting water from far away, which often resulted in less time to do other jobs or tasks, causing the family to quarrel.
“It was normally a challenge to get water because I have a child – so I had to carry my child when getting water,” says Ms. Sone. “I held my child in front and then used my back to carry the water bottle, which made me very tired. Sometimes we had arguments with my husband about who should go get water because during farming season, after coming home tired from the field, one of us still had to go out to collect water again.”
When the Khoua Food Security Project came to collect information, survey, and provide materials and equipment for the water construction in the village, Ms. Son actively participated in the process. She is relieved to have easier access to clean water and a water system in her household that reduces labor. Now, Ms. Sone doesn’t have to worry when she comes back from work because there is always water at home – and fewer quarrels.
“I am very happy and grateful to the Khoua Food Security Project for helping the family have water that can be easily collected, reducing the work of me and my family. I will make sure to protect the water system so that it can be used for a long time,” she says with a smile.
