Safe Water for Schools: The Story of Lae Hundulan, Indonesia
In the United States, the month of August represents a return to school. Students are buying school supplies, picking out first-day-of-school outfits, and finishing their summer homework. But for some children around the world, returning to school also means returning to an environment where they lack safe water to drink when they're thirsty. This was the story for children in Lae Hundulan, Indonesia.
Back to school season used to be unpleasant for the students in Lae Hundulan, Indonesia, who lacked access to safe water. Lae Hundulan is a remote community of 165 people, most of whom are farmers. Located near a small river, the community's fertile land is perfect for growing rice, bananas and cassava.
Until recently, the town had no road, and residents lacked electricity and access to safe water. Because Lae Hundulan sits at the top of a mountain, the steep path to the community made walking for water even more difficult for its residents.
Lae Hundulan is a remote farming town located at the top of a steep mountain. 10 year old Desta used to walk down the hill to collect unsafe watr from a spring and carry it home up the slippery trail. Desta attends the only school in Lae Hundulan, where she loves learning math. But because the school's only water source-the river-was halway down the steep mountain, she and her friends had no water to drink or use to wash their hands during the school day. 'When I was a little child, I would go to the river and get water with a small bucket. I was so tired, and because I was tired, the bucket would be too heavy for me to carry. Three teachers take turns teaching at the small school, due to the arduous uphill trek they need to make to get there. But even the teachers could not carry enough water from home to last the entire day. We walk 3 kilometers each way to teach school here. We bring water [for the school], but it is not enough.'
Before we built a safe water project in Lae Hundulan, Desta and her classmates had to go without safe water all day at school. Water Mission became aware of the dire situation in Lae Hundulan. One day, in 2018, Water Mission staff members were on their way to a different town when they realized they had made a wrong turn. They stopped to ask for directions and were told about another remote community in need.
'So our team visited [Lae Hundulan] and immediately saw that there was a big need,' said Indonesia Country Director, Deddy Edward. When we started working in Lae Hundulan, we realized that one of the biggest challenges to building a safe water project there, would be the dangerous elevated path to the town.''
Excited for a water project in their community, the residents joyfully helped carry the generator, piping, cement, solar panels, and other materials up the steep trail on foot and on motorcycles. They also gathered sand and stone from the river and carried them uphill to use as building materials.
The residents of Lae Hundulan worked together with Water Mission to carry all building materials up the treacherous hill to the community so that the water system could be installed. Their teamwork and effort paid off. Together, we built a solar-powered safe water system with seven tap stands, including one at Desta's school. The results of the project have been transformational for Desta and her classmates. 'Now we have easy access to water for the latrine, hygiene and cleaning the classrooms. We promote handwashing activities on the school campus.'
“If the children forget to bring water, they don’t need to go home when they get thirsty; they can just drink from the tap,” said teacher Marlina. “They can wash their hands. They can go to the toilet. They can even water the flowers.”
Now, the river near Lae Hundulan is a source of joy for Desta and her friends, instead of her only source of water.
“My friends and I enjoy the days we can swim in the river where it is not deep,” she said. “We like to splash and have fun.”
The project has also helped transform the community. After attending the project’s commissioning ceremony, a government official budgeted to widen the trail to the community into a road. In 2023, the town finally got electricity, reflecting how sustainable access to safe water can spark broader development.
Thanks to friends like you, Desta, her classmates, and her teachers can return to school each year knowing they have safe water to drink and wash their hands with. They can focus on their futures in an environment conducive to learning.
Since we’ve had the safe water project at our school, our kids are never thirsty…. We can drink right from the tap and know it is safe for our bodies.
