LDS Charities Partners with Indonesia Villagers

 

The drought that currently plagues Indonesia makes clear the critical need for clean water.  Because of current conditions, many Indonesians are forced to carry fresh water in containers several kilometers from their homes. LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is partnering with Indonesian villagers and local contractors to provide relief for those in need.

Annually, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commits major efforts to provide clean water for people throughout the world, where one billion people suffer from thirst and disease because they lack safe water. LDS Charities teams with local partners to construct water and sanitation systems, and train communities in system maintenance and hygiene. The training empowers local people to meet their long-term water needs.

Over the past 14 years, LDS Charities has worked in Indonesia to meet the clean water needs of its many villagers.  The Church has provided funding, technical expertise, and manpower to construct 29 water projects, primarily in West Java and Central Java. These water projects have provided clean water to over 400,000 Indonesians living in more than 100 villages.  Villagers themselves have provided over 430,000 hours of labor to help construct these systems. Each clean water project may include dams and reservoirs; wells, meters of piping, structures, pumps, filters, and storage tanks.

As part of the partnership, the community agrees to collect nominal monthly fees from those who use the water.  Money collected is used to replace worn or broken equipment and pay operating costs.  Without these fees, the water systems would inevitably become unusable.

LDS Charities has contracted Sutarno, a local Indonesian contractor, to construct and startup numerous projects throughout the country. Sutarno understands the importance of having clean water. He also realizes the importance of local people being involved to create a better environment for themselves and their fellow villagers. Experience has proven that villagers take better care of their water systems when they have a sense of ownership. Therefore, Sutarno employs local people to perform much of the labor under his careful supervision.  Using this model, he is able to maintain work quality at the same time improve the living standards of his workers.

Because of the efforts of local villagers and their partnering with LDS Charities, many people in Indonesia can rest assured they will have a fresh drink of water when they awaken tomorrow.