Water BrigAid has been requested to help a village near Sukabumi, Indonesia, with their water situation.  This community of 57 homes has seasonal water shortages every June to August. The 200+ residents have frequent cases of diarrhea and persistent skin rashes/itchiness.

For this project, Water BrigAid will be working with a team that has been assisting Sukabumi village residents with food and other aid for 3 years. The village leaders have committed to provide the manpower to construct the system, with our leadership, and they will maintain the system once it has been completed.

We plan to do this project in 3 Phases (dates to be determined):

In Phase 1 we will construct an enclosed concrete water tank to collect water from the hillside rocks. From this tank, approximately 10 PVC pipelines will be run to clusters of homes, where water faucets will be placed. This will allow villagers more convenient access to daily water for drinking and cooking purposes. The cost of Phase 1 is estimated at US$7,500 (S$10,300).  If needed, a sand water filter will be constructed next to the water storage tank. (This item has not been included in the budget.)

Phase 2 will consist of constructing proper bathing and laundry facilities for each home cluster, near the water faucets constructed in Phase 1.  Residents will obtain water from the tap by bucket and use this water for washing.  (The villagers presently bathe by bucket, rather than shower-head, so this is familiar to them.  This method of bathing also greatly reduces water consumption.)  Used water from the bathing and laundry facilities will be collected in a tank for use in washing out toilets (Phase 3).  (The cost of this phase will be estimated during Phase 1.)

Phase 3 will be constructing proper toilets for each home cluster, or one toilet for each home, if adequate funding is available.  Used bathing/laundry water will be recycled as toilet flush water, thus not requiring additional water.  (The cost of this phase will be estimated during Phase 1.)

Updates to this project will be made on this page as the project progresses. 

Should you wish to contribute to this community development project, please refer to our Donations page.  All donations are greatly appreciated, and a detailed budget is available upon request.  Thank you!

The villagers also lack proper toilet facilities.  There is one public toilet for the village, which is basically an open structure over a pond. Some homes have their own makeshift toilet, although cleanliness and hygiene are basically non-existent.

Homemade toilets

Water from rocks

1st Water Source:
Water used for bathing is collected into an open water tank.
This water source typically runs dry towards the end of the dry season (June to August).

Water from this tank is fed to a public bathing facility.  Overflow from this tank irrigates a plot of farmland.

This water is not stored properly and is thus not very clean.    The water storage problem likely contributes to residents’ ongoing issue with skin rashes and itchiness.

Water tank (exterior)

2nd Water Source:
Water seeps out of some rocks on the hillside and collects in a tiny pool.  Residents line up here every morning to get water for drinking and cooking.  Although the water coming out is clean, constant exposure to the elements renders it of poorer quality than desired.

This water source is said to have a year-round supply.

Public bathing facility

Farmland, with public bathing facility in the top right corner

Sukabumi Village is located on a hillside.  Water is obtained from the hill at two known points:

Water tank (interior)

Public toilet over pond

Public toilet (close-up)

Water BrigAid is helping provide safe drinking water for victims of earthquake-struck Haiti. Two of our Directors, James (from Singapore) and Alan (from the US), were in Haiti Feb 9-16. 

Working with Light Ministries, we distributed water filters to several orphanages in Carrefour, Haiti, located on the coastline next to Port-au-Prince.

Light Ministries is setting up a ‘tent city’ in Carrefour for several hundred earthquake victims.  Alan & James prepared a water filter system for residents at this tent city, and Light Ministries volunteers will set it up once the tent city is completed. 

Alan with a water filter for Esther Orphanage
(about 30 kids)

Collapsed building - one of thousands

A water filter for
Good Samaritan Orphanage
(120 kids + adults)

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Temporary roadside ‘homes’

Alan & James with Mona from Good Shepherd Orphanage
(55 kids + adults)

Alan preparing containers for water filter systems

Distributing water filters provides communities with the means to obtain their own safe drinking water, eliminating the need to rely on bottled water from overseas.

Recipients at each location were taught how to clean and maintain the filters. 

We also trained workers from Light Ministries regarding the water filter systems, and these volunteers will be able to assist communities that may need assistance with their filters.

James with some of the kids at Good Shepherd Orphanage

Setting up a water filter system at Good Shepherd Orphanage

From our observation, about 20% of the homes in Port-au-Prince and Carrefour have partially or totally collapsed. However, at least 80% of the homes are unsafe to dwell in.

Thus, the vast majority of the people are sleeping on the street in front of their homes, or in a temporary shelter of tin or sheets, wherever they can find space to live.

We would like to express our deep appreciation to those who have given generously to help provide safe drinking water for survivors of the earthquake in Haiti.

Should individuals, groups or organizations be interest in sponsoring water projects in Haiti, please contact us or refer to our Donations web page.

(updated March 30, 2010)

In addition to orphanages, we also supplied a water filter to Saint Roch Community Clinic. The filter will be used to provide clean water for treating patients, as well as provide safe drinking water for clinic visitors.

2,000-3,000 families live in this hillside community near Carrefour.

The devastation in Haiti is beyond comprehension. Help is continuing to pour in, but the need is great.  Aid is  now shifting from Disaster Relief towards Redevelopment. It will take years for Haiti to fully recover.

James is returning to Haiti April 6-17, 2010. On this trip, we are planning to help the community of Saint Roch with their water supply problem. We also hope to scout some remote communities to evaluate the need for redevelopment projects. 

Tent community residents in
Saint Roch

Alan giving a water filter to
Saint Roch Community Clinic

Some of the kids at Jardin Kids Home

A water filter for
Jardin Kids Home