Malteser International Lent Campaign 2008: Sri Lanka - From theoretical knowledge to practical use - How Hygiene Resource Centres help children and parents to improve their life-style
Cologne. Theoretical knowledge about water, sanitation and hygiene is not enough; one has also to know how to put this knowledge into practice. During lent season, the British water engineer Suzanna Lipscombe reports from Sri Lanka, how Malteser International is working and what the organisation is doing to reach this aim.
"To be able to help the people in a sustainable way, we are working with partners like the Sri Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum'", Suzanna Lipscombe writes in her fourth report for the Malteser International Lent Campaign 2008. "The aim of our work is not only to improve water security to families in the Southern Province who either have limited access to any water supply, or whose water supply is unsafe, but also to pro-mote the technology as a viable means to provide drinking water as part of a longer-term, sustainable solution. One of the means by which to do this is developing 'Resource Centres' in the project areas. These take the form of a 20m3 tank being built at a public or religious building. Through partnerships with them they will act as a focal point within the community where they can see the technology and find out more information. At this meeting we discuss a secondary school that has been identified in Urumutthe - a small hill-top village in central Matara District - that will receive one of these tanks. these tanks.
The school's Principle is very enthusiastic about receiving a tank, Lipscombe says. "And he is positive about integrating it into the daily activities in the school. For example the children in the senior classes (between 16 to 18 years old) will be offered the opportunity to participate in the construction of the tank, and thereby learn masonry and plumbing skills that could later be developed should they choose such a profession. Since the wider concept of hydrology is already part of their academic syllabus, the inclusion of a tank at their school will provide an opportunity for the school children to see how rainwater can be used for their benefit. Thus, they will gain an understanding of water supply, water quality and hygiene promotion. And gaining practical knowledge of an academic subject will of course be useful for them when they come to take their exams."
With its Lent Campaign, Malteser International calls for putting aside one Euro a day during Lent season. This way, 40 Euros can be saved up until Easter. With these 40 Euros, the organisation can procure the cement for the construction of one five cubic meters' water tank for one family.
Suzanna Lipscome's third report can be downloaded here.
Pictures of Suzanna Lipscombe at work can be found here.
If you want to participate in the Lent Campaign, you can transfer the 40 Euros to the following account:
Donation Account 120 120 120
Bank für Sozialwirtschaft, Wörthstr. 15 - 17, D-50668 Köln
Sort Code : 370 205 00
IBAN : DE49 3702 0500 0001 0258 01
BIC: BFSWDE33XXX
Reference : "Malteser International Lent Campaign 2008"
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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