Rin Thearith is a ten-year-old boy from Anlong Veng Village in Cambodia. His family accesses their water from a hand-dug well – and he used to often miss school because he was sick from drinking unclean water. Rin’s sickness also cost his family money for doctor visits and for medicine.
Rin’s life was positively impacted when the Church World Service (CWS) WET Centre held Biosand filter workshops in his village. Rin’s family was able to buy a filter and install it in their home. The greatest benefit that Rin’s family received was the knowledge from the workshops they attended. The workshops taught Rin and his family the importance of treating their water before consuming it. Treating their water became more accessible to Rin and his family after they learned how to use and maintain the Biosand filter in their home
Now that Rin’s family has the Biosand filter and the knowledge to use it, he gets sick less often. The availability of clean drinking water in their home allows Rin’s family to spend more money on his schooling, since there are less doctor visits. And Rin’s mother, Moen Chanthol, inspired by the example of other local leaders, has even become the Village Development Committee Leader.