In the rural areas of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos), only 55 percent of the population has safe water, and only 40 percent has access to adequate sanitation facilities.¹ Especially during dry season, many communities must rely on contaminated streams or ponds. The simple act of drinking a cup of unclean water can be deadly, particularly for children and the elderly. Seven of every one hundred children die before their first birthday because of diarrheal disease caused by contaminated water.²

In order to build large hydroelectric plants and reduce slash-and-burn agriculture and opium farming, the Lao government is relocating numerous communities from their ancestral highlands to densely populated lowlands. Their relocation is creating new opportunities to meet the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) needs of formerly remote populations. According to the World Health Organization, "The resettlement policy has brought with it tremendous challenges in delivering social services to the resettled communities... the vulnerability of the resettled communities is a major source of concern." (2009)

Water is all around in Laos, but it is unsafe and polluted. For these children, safe water from the new community well is something to celebrate. (Click photo for more.)

In Laos, Lifewater is helping a locally owned ceramic water filter business engage in community service through filter production, distribution, and WASH promotion. The usual means for getting clean water is buying bottled water. However, this costs an average of $180 per year for a family, a steep price that most rural and low-income families are unable to afford. By comparison, a ceramic water filter costs approximately $26 and lasts for up to seven years.

Lifewater's goal is to see approximately 40,000 impoverished men, women, and children gain access to safe drinking water through the distribution of 6,000 low-cost water filters. The factory equipment and ceramic filter construction supplies—including firing kilns, drying racks, taps, spigots, and clay sources—have been built or purchased. Lifewater is involved in training the filter sales representatives in improved hygiene practices so they can include lifesaving messages in their sales dialogues and demonstrations with communities and shopkeepers. Through this project, approximately 25,000 people will learn lifesaving hygiene and sanitation skills. Introduction of culturally appropriate latrines will come as demand for service increases in communities.

We have nearly reached our funding goal and are in need of $66,000 to meet all the project needs.

$50 - provides a ceramic water purifier complete with all accessories for one family
$150 - covers one hygiene training and promotion for a community or school
$300 - pays for a demonstration latrine for a community as part of sanitation training and promotion
$2,000 - covers the cost of a kiln for firing filters

Your contributions will be used to support the creative WASH activities of Lifewater’s partner organizations in Laos. If you would like to be part of this effort, please indicate "Project Pure Water, Laos" in the comments section of the donation page. Thank you for helping to make safe water accessible to thousands in Laos!

Winter 2011 - Demand Surges for Ceramic Water Filters

Lifewater's in-country partner has built a successful ceramic pot water filter fabrication and distribution business from the ground up. The business provides an affordable safe water option for the rural poor in Laos who are unable to afford alternative safe water products on the market.

One of the critical milestones in many water projects is helping people realize that their existing water source is harmful. The following testimony is commonly shared with our field project coordinators: "I have been drinking this water all my life and I’m strong." The community member overlooks the connection between the water source and the fact that many of his childhood friends, and perhaps even some of his own children,  have died from preventable water-related diseases.                                       (Click photo for more.)
Thus, a successful WASH project hinges upon promotion and education of safe water and good hygiene.

To this end, Lifewater's in-country partner has conducted many promotional activities to raise awareness about the need for safe water and promote their affordable water filters. Activities have included community hygiene training events, booths at festivals, radio advertising, market displays, and door-to-door sales. Their filters are greatly valued by communities and demand for them is steadily growing, to the point where customers are pre-paying for their orders.

Most of the technical problems the filter-production factory faced earlier have been solved, though they are still researching for the ideal source of clay. Filter production is currently at an average rate of 600 units per month using two kilns. A third kiln is under construction, and plans for three more kilns are on the drawing board. 

Fall 2010 - Potters for Peace Visit

                  (Click photo for more.)

Potters for Peace, innovators in ceramic water filters, will consult with the local water filter business this fall to provide expert advice on manufacturing. The objective of the visit is threefold: (1) Review current production processes in order to streamline activities and increase outputs; (2) Evaluate raw material stock to determine superior, optimum quality products at the best price; (3) Fine tune the firing process.

Spring 2010 - Stopping E-Coli

Diarrhea and e-coli infections are the second leading cause of death among rural Lao people, and especially among babies, claiming 7 out of every 100 infants. Lifewater has set out to knock these diseases right off the list by supporting the distribution of water filters. Each filter is able to take contaminated water from rain collection and streams and convert it into safe water for a household.

With Lifewater’s training and funding for the last year, our in-country partner has just finished building the country’s first ceramic water filter factory. Shouts of excitement were heard as our partner’s passion to help the nation’s underserved peoples had brought them steadily to this milestone. The goal is to sell 6,000 household filters - serving approximately 40,000 marginalized Lao people - by March of 2011.

The Lao government’s official invitation to participate in the Provincial Festival held during Jan 27-29 was received as a high honor, and marked the first sale of 300 water filters and an invaluable opportunity for our partner to build relationships in the communities. Additionally, our partner has trained 25 Trainer of Trainers in WASH education, helping to bring the total number of people thus far learning life-saving hygiene knowledge to 1,200 people.