WasserZeichen e.V.
Werner Helbig (here with Sokheurm Man, Husk) was in Cambodia in February/March 2023 to visit the Husk Community School and inspect the school wash program.
Husk Community School
School Wash Program 2022/23
SectionFinal report from Clear Cambodia (cooperation partner of WasserZeichen e.V. in Cambodia
Siem Reap Province
1. School name: HUSK Center Community.
2. Address of HUSK, Kamphem Village, Kaev Poar Municipality, Pouk District, Siem Reap Province.
3. School GPS location: N:13.391494, E: 103.744056
4. Number of students at the school: Total: 424 inclusive, 254 girls
5. Number of teachers and staff at the school: Total: 10, of which 7 are female
6. It is a community school run by Husk.
The starting point:
● The HUSK Community Center is facing the problem of no clean water for students during classes. The HUSK Community Center offers English and computer courses for the students in the area surrounding the center after the students have been taught in the primary school in the morning. 20% of students bring water from home and unsafe storage, while the rest drink water directly from the well. Only 5% of students are able to buy clean water to drink at school. The school does not have waste incineration and does not have enough toilets for the students.
● Students' understanding of clean water, hygiene and sanitation is limited. The teachers and parents of the students are concerned about clean drinking water and have often tried to seek support from other institutions and non-governmental organizations to help the school with clean water. But they have not yet received any support.
● Some students developed diarrhea due to poor hygiene and drinking dirty water. They often missed classes and received poor grades compared to other students. Most students did not know that poor drinking water was the cause of the problems
Description of what Clear Cambodia built and how the funds were used:
As part of the project, a biosand water filter system, a handwashing station, a toilet house and a waste incinerator were built at the HUSK community center. Clear Cambodia met with the director and teachers of HUSK to share responsibility for monitoring the project's construction quality and maintenance. Clear Cambodia is very happy that HUSK is contributing and sharing responsibility for the construction of these buildings. HUSK has found a suitable location for the water filtration system that is easily accessible for students to have clean drinking water and wash their hands. HUSK monitored the building during filter construction. Teachers attended training sessions on water, sanitation, hygiene and menstrual hygiene provided by project staff. This knowledge can now be passed on to the students. The school built the filter shelter itself as part of its contribution to the project and created a clear schedule for each teacher to take care of the construction and school environment. The funds were used for building facilities, health training materials such as towels, soap, plastic baskets, etc. and for remuneration of teachers when they attended the training.
egga student says:
“My name is Heav Raksa, I am in the 5th grade at Prey Dongheam Elementary School and I go to the HUSK Community Center to study in the evenings after class. It's 2 kilometers from my house to the HUSK Community Center. Before there was clean water at the HUSK Community Center, I and other students drank water directly from the well. We didn't really know what clean water was because I drank this water as a child. At the HUSK Community Center, there were only a small number of students who were able to purchase drinking water. My classmates eventually developed diarrhea and missed class, while I went to the hospital with stomach problems. Health workers told me that I had poor hygiene conditions and instructed me to drink clean water. I was worried because I couldn't afford clean water every day.
Today I am happy about clean water, a new latrine and waste incineration at my HUSK community center where I received training on clean hands, hygiene and sanitation. My classmates and I have the opportunity to wash our hands at HUSK, we all drink clean water, and people near the HUSK Community Center can now wash their hands every daybring home more drinking water.
All the students' parents are happy that their children drink clean water at school and they try to have it at home too. Now we are very happy that we have what we need and would like to thank Werner Helbig and all the donors who make it possible for us to have clean water and educate me and my classmates about clean hands with soap so that we can pass this knowledge on to other students and families can pass on".
