Ban Mae Tia is one of the largest villages KHT has supported in recent years. Built very close to a main road, it is home to over 1000 people, and whilst residents are less isolated than smaller villages the village was still struggling with water poverty, flooding during rainy season and difficulties growing crops.
KHT has supported the people of ban Mae Tia in the past through students scholarships and last year we provided them with a new WASH system to ensure that the village has cleaner water access all year round and the most disadvantaged families struggled to access enough water to support their health and well being.
We returned to Ban Mae Tia to learn about how life has improved one year after our WASH system was built and spoke to many villagers, including 56 year old Ms Jintawee.
I have lived here since I was born and have 6 siblings. My parents were farmers and now I live with my 14 year old daughter and I have a small shop as my livelihood.
Ms Jintawee told us that prior to KHT’s help the village struggled with sediment and dirt in their water from the well nearby and that is was difficult to get enough water each day. Many families would miss out if they were unable to get to the well early enough.
We are so grateful for your help. For the short term we have enough water, we don’t have to worry and in the long term our health will get better because the water is much cleaner than the well. We can also share water with other villages in the future.
Ban Mae Tia is close to Chiang Mai and is on a main road so it is easier to access schools and medical facilities. However, it is on a flat area and experiences flooding too. The things I like about my village is we can travel to Chiang Mai, hospital, or school easier. The village is also on a flat area and experiences flooding. The villagers are keen to improve their economic status and help their village with drainage and fencing. The village would also like to have support from volunteers to learn English and KHT hope we can find someone for this!
I have plans for myself and my daughter. I wasn’t able to go to university because I had to help my parents farm and provide for our family but I want to improve my shop and make things better for us. I want to participate in government projects if I can find any to help my business. As the world changes, we also need to adapt but we should also preserve our Karen culture and language. This is important for us and the next generation.
Ms Jintawee is one of over 1000 people that have benefited from the project in Bae Mae Tia. You can help us provide cleaner water for more marginalised Karen people by donating today!
The post A Year of No Water Scarcity in Ban Mae Tia appeared first on Karen Hilltribes Trust.