"With clean water, I can sleep soundly."
One day at the end of May, amidst the scorching heat of the Mekong Delta, we arrived at Quoi Thien islet ( Vinh Long province) to deliver water tanks and filtration systems to disadvantaged households. At each family's home, the team provided instructions on how to use the systems while also documenting the difficulties faced by the people in this island community.
For many poor households on Quoi Thien islet, the water jar is the main item used to store water for daily use. Photo: Ho Thao.
As soon as we disembarked from the ferry, the concrete road gradually disappeared, giving way to a rough, gravelly dirt path. The car swayed precariously, dust flying everywhere under the sweltering sun, leaving everyone exhausted. But this journey helped us better understand the lives of the people in this island region, where clean water for daily use has long been a difficult and scarce commodity.
Nestled deep within a narrow lane barely wide enough for a motorbike, surrounded by overgrown ditches and gardens, the porch of Ms. Truong Thi Hien's house (residing in Thai Binh hamlet) is devoid of male presence these days. Without land for farming, and with her husband suffering from severe diabetes and hospitalized, her life revolves around her elderly mother and the burden of making a living through small-scale buying and selling.
Looking at the winding path leading to her house, an official in the delegation asked how they managed to transport such a huge plastic tank if it was already difficult to walk there. An engineer in the delegation smiled, wiping away sweat, and shared: "To bring clean water solutions to the remote areas for the people, we had to hire more than 10 workers to squeeze through the narrow gaps in the trees and gardens, carrying, pulling, and pushing the tank across the ditches and canals. It took a lot of sweat and time."
Thanks to her perseverance, Ms. Hien now has fresh water on her porch. She recounted, "Before, things were very difficult; I always had to rely on my mother's water. The well water pumped up often had a strong bleach smell, it was terrible, but I had to force myself to use it. Now that I've been given this big tank and a clean water filtration system, I'm so happy; I no longer worry about a shortage of water for daily use."
Technical staff are installing a rainwater harvesting system for residents. Photo: Ho Thao.
Leaving Ms. Hien's house, the group walked along a small road, wading deep into a dirt path more than 200 meters from the main road to reach the simple, empty house of Ms. Thach Thi So Na, a poor Khmer ethnic minority family in the area. Throughout the year, the family's meager water-saving possessions consist only of an old, worn-out cement water jar.
“For years, we relied on rainwater for food and drink, and used river water for bathing and washing. When the dry season and saltwater intrusion came, the rainwater ran out, and I had to go buy bottled filtered water to drink. I would buy it whenever I had money, but when I didn't, I had to take water from the river outside the canal, let it settle with alum, boil it, and then drink it anyway, because what else could I do?” Ms. Na shared.
Seeing the modern rainwater filtration system combined with a large-capacity storage tank that had just been installed securely beside her house, the Khmer woman's eyes lit up. Ms. Na smiled happily: "This tank is huge! It will probably last from one year to next. Before, I could only dream of having one at other people's houses, but now that I have it, I can sleep soundly."
Officials from the Water Center instruct residents on how to use the rainwater harvesting and treatment system. Photo: Ho Thao.
"Three parties" bring clean water to the people.
The journey to bring clean water to the saline-affected area of Quoi Thien is not just a temporary solution, but a long-term plan implemented according to a "three-party" cooperation model, including sponsoring businesses, scientists conducting research and implementation, and the support of the local government.
Accordingly, Heineken Vietnam Brewery Co., Ltd. is sponsoring the program, in collaboration with the Center for Water and Climate Change at Tra Vinh University, to implement low-cost, climate-adaptive rainwater harvesting and treatment systems.
The program aims to ensure access to clean, safe, and stable water for vulnerable communities in Quoi Thien island commune. Simultaneously, the project seeks to reduce dependence on external water sources, lessen the burden of living costs, and enhance the community's resilience to saltwater intrusion and drought through technical training and awareness-raising.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Hoang, Head of Sustainable Development at Heineken Vietnam, stated that water and nature conservation is one of the core focuses in the company's "For a Better Vietnam" strategy.
"We not only provide solutions tailored to local realities, such as direct drinking water collection and treatment systems, but more importantly, we empower people to operate and maintain them themselves through training activities. This contributes to the long-term use of the system and enhances the project's sustainability. Seeing the joy of the people having access to clean water during the drought and salinity season strengthens our resolve on this journey," Mr. Hoang shared.
Ms. Na is delighted to now have a storage tank and a clean rainwater treatment system for daily use. Photo: Ho Thao.
According to the leaders of Quoi Thien commune, the joint efforts of businesses, scientists, and local authorities have not only brought fresh water to this downstream area but also spread humanitarian values, helping the community better adapt to the increasingly harsh impacts of climate change.
Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/them-nguon-nuoc-sach-cho-xa-dao-d819083.html
