Many Cambodian families live in rural villages where rainfall is the only source of water. During drought years, the lack of adequate water storage and other infrastructure problems mean that often the only water available to drink is unsafe. Most families can’t afford medical treatment for the diseases that come from using polluted water. As a result, children many times can’t attend school, parents frequently can’t work and the cycle of poverty is reinforced.

With a reliable source of clean water, families benefit financially, often improving their family income substantially. When water is readily and reliably available with a pump in place, families can grow better crops to sell at the market. More money earned at home helps keep fathers from leaving the country to find work. Many of the men who leave their families never return.