Water is the most basic of human needs.
Many villages in Nepal are without adequate, reliable, clean supplies of water, particularly during the dry season. With the increasing demands for agriculture, tourism and with growing populations, along with today’s understanding of improved hygiene standards, the burden of water shortages falls mainly on women and girls.
Jhakribash, Khotang District
Jhakribash village is a remote hilly village in Eastern Nepal. Most people in the village are dependent on agriculture, livestock and trekking, where they are employed as poorly paid porters. It is a very poor area, once called the ‘Somalia of Nepal’ by a journalist. The village is about 260 km from Kathmandu and is connected via a very rough dirt road, a minimum of 12 hour’s drive. The village has a population of about 600, with a total of 119 households.
The village has been without access to a proper water system for many years. It is the women and children who spend hours collecting water from distant water sources. A temporary pipe helps villagers get only about 20 litres per day, sometimes, which is not enough for domestic consumption, nor for washing, cleaning and agriculture.
With a safe, reliable water supply the women and girls of Jhakribash will be able to meaningfully contribute economically to the future of the village and attend school. Girl students and women teachers are also often absent from school a week every month, as they have no way of hygienically managing their periods. This badly affects their education and employment. Having access to clean water, sanitation and good hygiene can improve health, enable access to education, empower women, increase family income and can contribute to economic development in the community. A safe reliable water supply will change lives in Jhakribash.
Even though the government of Nepal has committed itself to provide all its citizens with a basic level of water supply, 73% of people in Nepal suffer from a lack of safe, clean drinking water. For children under five, water and sanitation-related diseases are one of the leading causes of death. This project, through Action for Nepal, (https://actionfornepal.org), is designed to improve the living conditions of the people of Jhakribash village through access to a safe and reliable water supply and to help increase the families’ income through a livelihood program.
To ensure the success of every project they undertake, Action for Nepal (AFN) collaborates with the local community, combining their knowledge with AFN’s expertise to find the best sustainable solution to benefit the most people. The local community contributes financially and physically in the construction period and the ongoing maintenance of the water supply system. For every water project they fund, they establish a local Water Committee and provide technical training to manage the water system to help keep water flowing for years to come.
“In the Hindu religion when someone is dying, we put water in their mouth to give them life. What you have done is give us life.”
(1 June 2023 Phortse Water Project celebration)