Photo: Village life in Bao hamlet, Vietnam.
High hopes – in anticipation of the project
In Bao Hamlet located near the Tra Vinh and Ecotech projects in Vietnam, Mr. Tran shared his hopes for an upcoming last mile piping (water distribution) project when we visited him in early 2022. The project is part of the community development programme sponsored by Climate Investor One and delivered in partnership with the projects and SNV Vietnam. It has been designed to play an instrumental role in addressing a significant health hazard the community had been enduring - poor water quality.
Mr. Tran, the Head of the Hamlet, noted, "Before the project, we have been using really bad quality water which was very bad for our health." This posed serious health risks to the community, threatening their overall wellbeing.
Mr. Tran’s concerns about the water issue stemmed from his background in pig farming, where he learned about the harmful effects of poor pH levels in the water. The lack of regular health checks further amplified the problem, with residents remaining largely unaware of the extent of the water quality's impact on their health.
The last mile piping project introduced a possible solution to this critical issue, by installation of the infrastructure needed to deliver potable drinking water to underserved households. Mr. Tran expressed his strong support for this initiative, stating, "I am fully supportive and agreed to donate 120 m of land in length to allow the construction of the pipelines for the clean water."
Mr. Tran’s active contribution exemplifies the community's involvement in and ownership of the development programmes. He further expressed his gratitude, indicating the wider positive impact on the community. He said, "If there is clean water for the family as well as the neighbours of the Bao people, I am very grateful"
Hopes realised – following project delivery
The programme to build the piped water supply to the hamlet was concluded in December 2022, so we paid another visit to see first-hand how the project water was performing and understand how residents felt about the project now it was finished. The quotes below are taken directly from our conversations with those pictured by the newly installed taps; “I have been longing for tap water for years.” - Mrs. Lan, a Khin lady in Con Trung village, Truong Long Hoa commune.
