Proper solutions for a small irrigation system

For the people living in Chork Char village, it is very difficult to take up water from the deeper stream in dry season and it is from 4 to 5 meters deep and very precipitous. So, they have to spend more time to take the water up for the household’s consumption and grow fewer vegetables and other crops during the dry season. These problems are always faced by women and children who according to the local habits are responsible for supplying water, firewood and other domestic tasks for their families.

Due to this issue, CRDT (thanks to an AusAID donation) decided to install a pilot water hand pumping, moreover as it only $17.00. This system will help the women and children in their daily family usage and plantation watering. There were some women and children involved to install this system as well, and they were trained by the project team to understand and be able to repair this system later.

After the installation was over, some children and women happily tested the system and were able to use very easily. A child said that “It is very simple and easy to use even for me; I am very happy and had never seen such a thing before”.  A woman also declared that “Every year, I grow vegetables in here but I was very difficult to take water up from the stream by using the 30 liters container at a time, so that I was cultivating only few vegetables and it wasn’t enough. But this year I am fortunate as there is a system of water pumping to help me, I no longer am worried. In the future I will be able to grow more vegetables and generate more income thanks to this water pump system”.

 By Meas Viphou, Project Manager in Mondulkiri