Thirst Aid
Most of us have never experienced real thirst. Sure, we’ve been thirsty – but we’ve fixed it by walking over to the tap, turning it on and drinking as much cool, clean water as we wanted.
We’ve never had to walk for hours in the heat to fetch it from a well or water pump. We’ve never had to sacrifice a meal because we only had enough money to give our family one or the other – water or food. We’ve never had to swallow mouthfuls of dirty water because there was no other choice. Yet for 1.1 billion people on the planet, this kind of life is a reality. One in six people in the world today live without access to clean water – one of our most basic human needs. For these people, a drink of water is no simple undertaking – every sip they take carries with it the possibility of a life-threatening disease.
On the side of a dusty street in the city of Taguig, Manila, there is a building that stands out from the rest. Bookended by ramshackle structures, large glass windows line its front. Above the windows is a sign that reads ‘TSPI WaterHope’. TSPI stands for Tulay Sa Pag-unlad Inc, one of Opportunity International Australia’s microfinance and community development partners in the Philippines. WaterHope stands for just that: water, fresh and available – and hope, for the future.
In its first three weeks of operating, WaterHope saw more than 1000 gallons of purified water leave the station and make it into homes.
Beyond the glass, workers move between pipes and taps, filling large blue containers with clear water and sealing them tight. Inside the pipes, raw water is flowing, passing through treatment filters to remove solids, sediment and disease-causing micro-organisms. The system eliminates colours, tastes and odours, absorbs organic chemicals such as chlorine, and converts hard minerals into soft minerals. Essentially, it takes unsafe water from the original water supply and makes it safe to drink.
In partnership with the Wholistic Transformation Resource Center, TSPI WaterHope started operations in early July 2009 in Signal village, a location chosen for its close proximity to a number of TSPI clients. Close to 790 clients live in the area, and approximately 200 clients and their families live in a 500-metre radius from the site. These and other members of the community were invited to access WaterHope’s product at a cheaper price than other suppliers – 20 pesos (A$0.49) for five gallons of water.
In meeting such a basic need, WaterHope is a crucial add-on to the microfinance services TSPI supplies in partnership with Opportunity Australia. Loans – vital in helping families in poverty start businesses and earn incomes – are little help if the recipients are too sick to work. A ‘microfinance plus’ service, WaterHope helps secure good health and a sounder future. David Bussau, Opportunity International Australia founder and Senior Australian of the Year 2008, notes, “If a community doesn’t have clean water, then the incidence of sickness is much higher. Water is a critical entry point into transforming the health of a community.”
For TSPI clients with microfinance loans, WaterHope also provides a business opportunity. Microentrepreneurs with sari-sari (variety) stores or delivery businesses use loans to purchase water at a reduced rate – 16 pesos (A$0.39) for five gallons – which they then onsell to customers for a profit. Erlinda Cinco and Remedios Dy are two such clients (read their stories below).
The water station is fast becoming a community centre for the families of Signal village. Its community hall is a popular meeting place for clients and lending groups, and children play safely in the surrounds as their parents pick up water. A plan to pilot a preschool is also on the cards, a side project that aims to educate 150 children, aged 3-5, in two years. “The preschool years are so formative,” says Aby Carlos, TSPI research specialist. “The school will give clients an opportunity to educate the next generation more affordably. At the moment, it’s far too expensive for some.” Other initiatives concerning health, medicine and nutrition are also being investigated.
Do initiatives such as WaterHope interest you? If you are keen to fund community development programs in India, Indonesia or the Philippines, we would love to hear from you. By giving to Opportunity International Australia, you can join with us as we support our partners and reach out to families with much-needed microfinance and support programs. Click here to donate today, or contact your local Donor Relations Manager.
Water wise
Water has always been an item stocked at Erlinda and Marcelo Cinco’s sari-sari (variety) store. Without the luxury of running water, many of their customers rely on bottled water as a safe option. But with incomes of a little over a dollar a day, the price of 25 pesos (A$0.62) was simply too high. Thanks to WaterHope, Erlinda and Marcelo (pictured) can now sell five gallons for 20 pesos (4 pesos more than they buy it for wholesale). Their profit margin has been cut, but the reduced price has seen their customers surge and income double.
Open from 5am, the store earns 300 pesos (A$7.40) profit a day. With five children, the increase is greatly appreciated, and the family has even been able to install a proper toilet in their home.
Mother-of-two Remedios Dy has seen even bigger changes. Her old wholesaler sold five gallons for 30 pesos (A$0.74), which she would onsell for 35 pesos (A$0.86). In the first two weeks of selling WaterHope water at its reduced price, Remedios sold 49 containers – a huge increase in sales.
“I can now afford to buy more food for my family,” she says. “And I have even purchased a fridge to keep it fresh.”
This is not the first help Remedios has received from Opportunity Australia’s partner TSPI. Several years ago, she received a loan of 5,000 pesos (A$123) to expand her store, and now, Remedios’ profits have increased from 200 (A$4.92) to 500 pesos (A$12.30) a day.