Contributed by Paige Brianne Edelheit –
Cambodia deserves just as much as us, no?
Right outside of Singapore is another world. Our neighbouring country, Cambodia is a country which experiences monsoon season from May to November every year, and has the Mekong River flowing through. You wouldn’t think that this country would have water issues, but this is a fact of life.
Cambodians struggle everyday for water for their families and cattle. In a country like Cambodia, the main source of any villager’s drinking water comes from rainfall. Water is collected in huge cement structures which store it for long periods of time. However, this creates unsafe parasites and can also be the source of mosquito reproduction. This causes many people, especially children, to get sick with diseases which cannot be easily treated. Chemicals to purify the water are extremely expensive.
Contaminated water also comes from improper waste disposal. In Cambodia, trash is thrown on the floor behind buildings where people cook, clean, or live. This trash sits in mucky water, which is part of fields that produce their food. The trash leaks some toxins into the ground, which then gets into the water, through surface or groundwater. It also is a big problem how excess rain just sits there for awhile and starts to get very dirty. It creates unstable soils which makes it hard to grow their crops to eat and attracts unwanted creatures.
The Singapore standard
In almost complete contrast, Singapore has a very clear water plan. We have four national taps that ensure we always have enough to drink and for our drainage. Singapore’s history was very similar to Cambodia today. By 1850, Singapore’s population had grown to more than 50,000 without provisions made to supply these residents with water. Planning for Singapore’s water supply became an issue. It was only in 1857 that a very charitable man, Tan Kim Seng, made a donation of $13,000 SGD for the building of Singapore’s first waterworks and piped water supply.
As we can tell by that bit of Singapore water history, one man who cared about saving the lives of others stood up and did something. He changed people’s lives, even Singapore as a whole. Cambodia needs this kind of boost from us. We don’t have to have one person do all of the donating and helping, we can help too! Every little amount matters. Together we can save lives that have never been helped before. Give clean water and make a difference.
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