In many rural and mountainous parts of Vietnam, because of tradition and a lack of clean toilet facilities, open defecation is still widely practiced. As a result, the local population lives in a polluted environment and frequently suffers many serious communicable diseases.
Typical housing of the local people
In response to a request from Sister Nguyễn Thị Đức of the Kim Thành church, in Hòa Hiệp village, Cu Kuin District, Daklak province, Vietnam Foundation lent its support to her programme of building toilets for the 450 Ede families living in buon Hra Ea Hing and buon Hra Ea Tla.
Dr Mai Viết Thủy, one of our directors (on left), with Sister Nguyễn Thị Đức (on right) and the owner of a new toilet.
The first phase of the programme, starting in February 2011, consisted of building 76 toilets for 76 families. In parallel with the toilet construction, classes teaching hygiene practices and healthy life style were also organised for this ethnic minority group.
 |
 |
Vietnam Foundation contributed about one third of the costs of this first phase.
All 76 toilets have been built and handed over to the local people.
 |
 |
The local communities requested help to build 200 more toilets for other families in the next few years. Vietnam Foundation is looking for co-sponsors to share the cost of construction. It is hoped that at the end of the whole project, these ethnic minority families will have a cleaner living environment, a more hygienic life style and many of their diseases are things of the past.