13 December 2008By Channel NewsAsia's IndoChina correspondent Anasuya Sanyal (S'pore)
CAMBODIA: In rural Cambodia, only 16 per cent of residents have a proper toilet -- the lowest rate in Southeast Asia.
However, one Singaporean group is working to change that.
On Cambodia's great lake, Tonle Sap, water stretches for miles in every direction.
But getting clean drinking water and proper sanitation is another story entirely.
Homes here are floating platforms and must move seasonally, and outhouses are simply a wooden plank over the open water.
Water and sanitation issues are of crucial importance to people who are on Tonle Sap, where safe drinking water comes at a price and toilet facilities are rudimentary.
People have no choice but to contaminate the very same water they use for drinking and washing.
Singaporean non-governmental organisation Lien Aid aims to make a difference in this community of about 10,000 people.
They are introducing the concept of "floating" toilets which are affordable, locally-made, and therefore sustainable.
"It is actually a simple system… We're going to use locally available buckets where they can collect the faeces. We are going to use some locally available agent to dry the faeces, that is, using ashes and other local material," said the CEO of Lien Aid, Sahari Ani.
One key to the project is that locals will have to source and build their own toilets, to ensure that all parts of the community are involved.
"The toilet that we introduce to the community -- they are very happy to get that one and they try to find their own resources to contribute to the project," said the director of the Department of Rural Health Care, Ministry of Rural Development, Chea Samnang.
A young couple, who has two children with another on the way, says they are happy to have a simple and hygienic toilet.
They worry that people's lifelong habits will be difficult to change.
But they hope the affordable toilets will catch on with the lake's residents, just like other modern conveniences that have done so.
And it is testimonies like theirs that makes this project look set to be flush with success.
However, one Singaporean group is working to change that.
On Cambodia's great lake, Tonle Sap, water stretches for miles in every direction.
But getting clean drinking water and proper sanitation is another story entirely.
Homes here are floating platforms and must move seasonally, and outhouses are simply a wooden plank over the open water.
Water and sanitation issues are of crucial importance to people who are on Tonle Sap, where safe drinking water comes at a price and toilet facilities are rudimentary.
People have no choice but to contaminate the very same water they use for drinking and washing.
Singaporean non-governmental organisation Lien Aid aims to make a difference in this community of about 10,000 people.
They are introducing the concept of "floating" toilets which are affordable, locally-made, and therefore sustainable.
"It is actually a simple system… We're going to use locally available buckets where they can collect the faeces. We are going to use some locally available agent to dry the faeces, that is, using ashes and other local material," said the CEO of Lien Aid, Sahari Ani.
One key to the project is that locals will have to source and build their own toilets, to ensure that all parts of the community are involved.
"The toilet that we introduce to the community -- they are very happy to get that one and they try to find their own resources to contribute to the project," said the director of the Department of Rural Health Care, Ministry of Rural Development, Chea Samnang.
A young couple, who has two children with another on the way, says they are happy to have a simple and hygienic toilet.
They worry that people's lifelong habits will be difficult to change.
But they hope the affordable toilets will catch on with the lake's residents, just like other modern conveniences that have done so.
And it is testimonies like theirs that makes this project look set to be flush with success.
17 comments:
Forget about it. It won't work. These lazy people prefer the shit-n-go approach. It's quick and dirty yet save a lot of time.
I disagree with you comment #1. Rural Khmer are just ignorant about the clean water and general hygience. The government need to educate them about cleanness. We may not need a foreigner to tell those Rural people but our government need to initiate.
This kind of bassic human necessity need not come from the higher level of government but local government.
The problem is those who in charge of rural are residing in PP and have no idea and don't want to care about the people they are serving.
Khmer leader are always behind the Siam and Youn. Khmer use to be powerfull when Siam and Youn were suppress by Chinese. Now these two country are better than Khmer and khmer seem no interesting in change the behavior.
You are right but not smart. They also cook and drink water from their own shit for years giving all kind of deseases to other people including tourists who eat Cambodian fishes from Mekong river..
I agree with post #2 that these social issues are the government responsibility to educating the public the cause and effect of cleanliness that may harmful to health and the environment.
As for post #1 and #2, stop being sarcastic but search for solution, or take note.
Why do people need to be taught in everything? Can't they take any responsibility at all to look after themselves? I mean you don't pee & shit to the same water that you drink everyday! There are solutions and they have to find it themselves. Don't just rely on the government or everyone else to find solutions for them all the time. These people are simply lazy. Even if you give them toilets (floating or not), they will go back to the old traditional way of shitting again, quick and dirty yet less work.
i thank the government and the singaporian company for starting this toilet thing, this khmer hiegene issue. it is about time that we be clean as the world tourist are visiting us every year.
clean khmer
i thank the government and the singaporian company for starting this toilet thing, this khmer hiegene issue. it is about time that we be clean as the world tourist are visiting us every year.
clean khmer
when it comes time to dump the tank when it becomes full, where do you think it will be dumped?
Where to dump it? What about the front yard of ah Hun Sen's house? Can we do that, or is it too risky? Dang, too many problems, no real solutions!
Thank you Singapore!
May God blesses you!
Cambodian government should find the way to clean up the lake for good! i meant clear all of those people out of the lake and find them a place..because they shit and pee in the lake for more than 12th century!! and all of those speed boats to siem reap..don't even have toilet?? what ta fuck!! Why government doesn't do anything abouth this problems..?? and every bus stop, man! they don't have trah-can? you can see all trashes flying all over places!! Nobody seem to care!! they just line up along side of the road and take a pee or dump! fucking nasty shit!!!
Damn, man! i'll never eat them from the lake again..!
Message to cambodian government loud and clear!! you must do something to educated these people how to use the TOILET!! don't you felt shame and embarass?? we got tourists everyday cross the lake to the temple site...not just the lake on the road to siem reap or throughout the country...this is disgusting!! what kind of government is this..??
.. I will never again eat Cambdian fishes from Tonle Sap lake where these floating houses are shown here. Never ever.
Cambodian government should created a tough laws to educated these people about throwing trashes...those vendor-stall is also a problems! nobody seems to care!
The Singaporeans will have to pay the villagers to build their own toilets; otherwise, no one will bother to spend time and money to build them and continue to shit and piss in the water. It's all about money. Singapore has a good intention about involving Khmer people in the project, but without money no one will care about hygiene. We Khmer need to change some of our bad habits, like laziness. It's embarrassing.
I remember a couple of years ago the story that the PM needed to go but no bathrooms so he ordered that bathrooms be built along the waterfront along Sesowat In PP. So they built them- only problem, you can use them unless you pay a fee to the bathroom caretaker, consequently everyday Khmers have to continue to use wherever.
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