Abundant Water and The Bamboo School are teaming up to bring villages safe water to drink like those in Phonsana.

The Bamboo School is using Abundant Water's ceramic filters made in our workshop in Vientiane by our local staff. Because Abundant Water's filters use components (water buckets, PVC pipes and containers) that can be purchased across Laos, the Bamboo School can support the local economy by purchasing these components in Nong Khiaw village and people can repair many parts of their own filters if needed.

The Bamboo School is trialling the selling of filters for a subsided amount rather than providing them for free. Why? Because this is a better way to engage with people who want our support. The Bamboo School wants to support beneficiaries to help solve their own problems rather than creating dependence on aid programs.

The first village that has asked for replacement filters this time was Phonsana, one of the villages on the Nam Ou river. Representatives from The Bamboo School and AW gave a presentation to villages at night when the people had returned from the fields. The next morning people who were interested in buying a filter came to the Naiban’s (village chief's) house. Within an hour, all of the filters had been sold and the Naiban has requested another 30. The local teacher even wants them installed in the school as well! That is an excellent sign of engagement and interest in health.

The collaboration of Abundant Water and The Bamboo School creates opportunities to help communities improve their access to clean drinking water and has increased the popularity of AW's water filter technology in Muang Ngoi District and in the surrounding area. This will help us make progress towards our goal of clean water for everyone!