So what's it all about?

So what's it all about?


Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Edinburgh, a student run charithy, is working in collaboration with the Cambodian Hope Organisation (CHO), a Cambodian NGO who work to improve the lives of Cambodian people.

We are working to provide clean water around Poipet. This project is running now (summer 2010).

Through this blog we hope to create a resource useful to anybody carrying out subsequent or similar projects, or just something of interest for those that know us.

Tuesday, 17 August 2010

A fun fair, a waterfall, a donation, and a gaggle of women going shopping

Jack, Dany (from 1001 fontaines) and I spent the weekend having fun around Battambang. On Saturday evening we went to a fair. It was Dany's first time on a ride and her screams were scary.
It's difficult to make out in this photo, but Danny is screaming loudly whilst Jack and I try to work out whether she's having fun or in extreme pain.


On Sunday we went on a day trip to Pailin, where there is a nice waterfall. We also went for a trek through the jungle. Jack managed to get a leech on his toe and another three came after him shortly after. He was then bitten by a fierce ant whilst Dany and I had no problems.

All of the photos look quite similar unfortunately, I suppose that's the nature of a forest:








There was a rock slide at the bottom. We slid down it a few times, Jack almost went over the edge.


1001 Fontaines Donation
On Monday we went back to the 1001 Fontaines to give a donation from the money we raised before coming out here. We think they're doing a brilliant job but the weak link is marketing and awareness of what is safe drinking water. Therefore we hope the money will be used to create and run a water education trailer. This will include an example sand filter and a microscope to show the effect of UV light on water. We think this will be an effective way to get the message across about clean water.

Back in Poipet
Jack and I are now back in Poipet. Whilst holding a community meeting today we offered to take some of the community to the nearest pharmacy so that they could buy chlorine tablets. Doing this we hope that they will go back themselves to buy more tablets next time. Ceramic water purifiers, which we are very keen on, are beyond their means for now although they may be able to afford them during the rice harvest.



Once of the women was 68 years old and thought I was 30, she was more interested in commenting on how handsome we were than water purification. So tomorrow we are taking a gaggle of women shopping: I forsee chaos ensuing!

Angus

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