“Our teachers used to teach the children in school to wash their hands, but we didn’t have a hand-washing station for them to practice,” said Yav Don, principal of Kouk Samrong Primary School in Cambodia.
Kouk Samrong School has 239 students and eight teachers. Many didn’t practice proper hygiene and sanitation because the school lacked proper facilities. Students like Pisey didn’t wash their hands before eating or after using the toilet because they were unaware about proper hygiene practices. Pisey often suffered from diarrhea.
Samaritan’s Purse has partnered with Kouk Samrong to improve their hygiene and sanitation situation. Through our Water for Kids project we constructed a biosand filter and a four-room latrine with hand-washing stations. We also taught the teachers about proper hygiene and sanitation so that they can integrate the teaching into their lessons with the students.
“Presently, my friends and I do not worry about where to wash our hands,” Pisey said. “My hands feel good after washing them with soap. I would like to thank Samaritan’s Purse for providing clean water and toilets for us.”
Pisey told me she wants to be a doctor in the future so that she can “help other people and make them healthy.”
