A Samaritan’s Purse water project brings health, healing, and the good news of the Gospel to an impoverished community.

Khleang and his wife Yoeuth live in a village in Cambodia that often floods during rainy season, and when that happens, bacteria in the unprotected pond spreads throughout the community.

More than 100 families live in the village, and they use water from this one pond for everything: drinking, cooking, cleaning, and tending to their gardens. Most families have never been taught about the importance of clean water and healthy sanitation and hygiene practices.

Some families allow their children to swim in the pond water, which is also used by cows and water buffaloes for drinking and grazing. People practise open defecation, as many households do not have a latrine.

Khleang and Yoeuth are rice and cassava farmers, and they have three daughters, ages 12, eight, and four. They too relied on water from the pond for household use.

On one occasion, their 8-year-old was so sick with diarrhoea due to drinking unclean water that Khleang had to take her to a medical clinic and pay a high price for treatment. His wife was diagnosed with typhoid; another waterborne illness; soon after, which put additional stress on the family.

Recently, though, the situation in the village is beginning to change as the Samaritan’s Purse Water for Families project begins to make an impact. Our staff have distributed BioSand filters and taught people how to use and maintain the filters. They also taught about healthy hygiene and the importance of using latrines.

A New Beginning

Khleang and his wife attended our hygiene and sanitation training and learned about waterborne diseases, how to properly wash their hands, and how to use the water filter for safe drinking and water storage.

Khleang and his family were excited to receive their water filter, and in just a few months, their health began to improve. “The BioSand filter is a treasure in our family,” Khleang said.

Our teams shared the Gospel with the family and explained to them about the eternal salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. We praise God that Yoeuth decided to accept Jesus as her personal Lord and Saviour.

Khleang and his family are grateful that they now have clean water access and are on a path toward a healthier future.