Charity Abundant Water has been working alongside local partners ACTD to install affordable, sustainable water filters in rural communities in Laos. The project provided over 1,750 people with access to clean water during its first three months, with over 289 filters installed in homes that previously had unreliable access to safe water. A key part of their work is to show local people how the filters work, and also to train them to install and then sell the low cost filters, creating both clean water and employment opportunities.

The rural communities in Laos that Abundant Water reach out to include the Hmong, who have their own distinct written and spoken language, culture and religion. Their villages are often in isolated areas of Laos with limited access to healthcare, transport and clean water. Supported by the Happold Foundation’s Grants For Good Ideas, the team from Abundant Water has been able to train Sou Chang, a Hmong employee, as a Project Manager. This has enabled the charity to meet the needs of the most rural Hmong communities in the country

Following his graduation from University, Sou began by learning how to make and test water filters, before he started to actively train as a project manager. With his native language skills, Sou is able to share his knowledge of the water filters with the community. This has vastly improved the experience of the Hmong people, who are now able to learn about the filters in their own language.

To read more about the project, read the full progress report.