The project managed by Malteser International in Thailand
My name is Gray Po. I was born in No Pa Poo, a small village in northwest Thailand, and lived here all my life. I own a small store selling groceries. From that income, I have to take care of three children. Since my husband died several years ago, I also manage my household by myself.
When the International Relief Agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Malteser International, first came to my village two years ago and said they wanted to help us improve our living conditions, I was motivated from the beginning. We had never received assistance from any organizations before. They even came during rainy season, when access is limited. That is when I thought: they must really love my village.
As I was curious and wanted to help improving our community, I joined the first meeting Malteser International held with the villagers. I very much agreed to what was debated there, like having clean and easy access to water. For this reason, I decided to become a member of the “WASH committee” they created. This committee would be responsible for the water, sanitation and hygiene projects in our village. I joined because I think it is important that we share the work for the benefit of our community.
Over the course of the following meetings, we identified two main projects that were urgently needed: the protection of our water source and the construction of latrines. It was easy for us to identify these needs, as we had discussed these for many years in our village; however, we lacked knowledge and resources to put the ideas into action.
As a consequence of the activities, lots of changes happened to me and our little village. For the first time, we finally have plenty of clean water to drink.
Previously, I had to walk up and down a hill to a water tap that I shared with two other households. Often, especially in dry season, there was no water, and this led to arguments with my neighbors, who I suspected were taking more than their fair share.
I had to walk there at least three times a day – much more often if I had to feed my pigs or do laundry. I carried the water in hollow bamboo trunks that I had to put in a bag attached to my back. It was very heavy, and I was in pain every evening. The water was dirty – I often saw small pieces of sand and stones, but I used to drink it anyways, since I did not know I had a choice.
In one of our meetings, a Malteser International staff member explained that the water source we were using is not protected and open, so the water can easily get dirty. After we built a fence around the area, covered the water source and installed new pipes that directly lead to our houses, I just have to open the tap in my home and clean water flows out.
The new latrines were also a big improvement to our lives. Before we had them, I and the other villagers had to walk to the nearby forest. At night, I was scared that something could happen to me or my children while leaving the house. Often, people were bitten by mosquitoes or even snakes. In the rainy season, when the ground is slippery, I fell many times. This is now a thing of the past, thanks to a roofed latrine next to my house just for me and my children. Also, the smell in our village is gone and we are proud to receive visitors.
But the most significant change in my life is the knowledge I gained through the Order of Malta. Like many of my neighbors, my family was always struggling with diseases such as diarrhea. We just did not know how these occurred and how we could prevent them. Prevention is especially important for us in No Pa Poo, as the nearest clinic is far away and the road leading there is in a bad condition. I have learned a lot about hygiene and health, such as washing hands, boiling the water before drinking, and covering the food. We haven’t had another case of diarrhea in our house ever since.
I have to say that I am very proud I contributed to these changes. During the campaigns, I cooked for my neighbors who installed the pipelines and also helped carry pipes, rocks and sand to protect the spring. As a community, we would like to continue making positive changes. Our new project, managed by the residents, is equipping every house with electricity.
Interview: Kai Pohlmann
