05/12/2024
CLEAN WATER FOR LA FLORA COMMUNITY
Community participation, capacity building and practical planning underpins Hannah Bertonia’s action project from start to finish.
One of the 2023 Mindanao young leaders, Hannah's priority was to engage eight young local volunteers to co-design the project. After learning about environmental protection strategies and indigenous research methodologies, these enthusiastic youth went into the villages to hear what the community had to say about their access to safe drinking water. These discussions highlighted inadequate infrastructure and a concerning prevalence of waterborne diseases due to contamination from poor waste disposal and deforestration.
Drawing on traditional knowledge and local resources, the community have ambitious plans. These include building deep wells, harvesting systems for rainwater, improving waste management, providing hygiene and health sessions, and establishing partnerships with government and NGOs to get advice and funding for water purification systems for households.
Hannah envisions a future where every household in La Flora has access to clean water and the community can manage and maintain these water facilities independently.
