WASH in Vietnam

how water, sanitation, and hygiene are changing lives

In much of the country, and for many people, Vietnam is a prosperous and increasingly developing nation. At the same time, many Vietnamese  - particularly ethnic minority communities - live in poverty, vulnerable to violence, disease, and kept from the fulfillment and thriving their neighbors enjoy. Recently, Executive Director Vy Nguyen joined colleagues from Week of Compassion’s partner Church World Service (CWS) for a program monitoring and evaluation visit with project leaders and sites in northern Vietnam.

---

CWS is expanding programming with renewed commitment to empower underserved and under resourced communities. One of the key areas of focus is Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, a project that provides training and resources to those critical areas. As Vy shares, “Having access to something as simple as clean water and good hygiene can make a huge difference in the lives of the community, especially for children and the elderly.” ​

---

​Coordinating with community leaders, plus the local government's Women’s and Youth groups, the key is improving limited and inefficient water sources and systems - and then raising awareness and understanding of safe practices for homes, schools, clinics, and community centers. The WASH program has two goals: expanded and improved knowledge of positive sanitation and hygiene, and improved access to water and sanitation infrastructure.

---

In the Tay ethnic minority village of Cao Binh, the main water source is about a mile away, and the flow drastically changes with the seasons. This means not only is their water hard to get to and scarce, but the villagers take whatever they can get, regardless of quality and safety. This leads to dire health consequences, but also means conflict and violence is common as those who can afford to source the clean water do, and those without such means simply go without. With the guidance of respected community leaders who could gather support and cooperation, a plan was created where families designed a shared water system and fee structure, paid in for their share, provided the labor, and developed a meter system that monitors and compensates for water use. Safe, clean, equitably sourced and accessible water can mean conflict resolution.

---

​In Pa Chi Tau, a small village of 25 families, there is no electricity, almost no piped clean water, and therefore essentially no household sanitation, with only 4 latrines among all the families. In the WASH project start-up classes, as women and families came to understand the relationship between hygiene and health, and learned that assistance was available to build and supply sanitary latrines, new possibilities came to light. Using a simple design and locally sourced materials, families have built and use these sanitary latrines, and have even received a hygienic certification for the village! Safe, clean, accessible water and knowledge about sanitation and health can mean disease prevention for whole communities.

---

​After COVID delays, especially in parts of the program that required people to be together for education, training, and advocacy, the recent CWS visitors could see marked progress in the WASH project. Week of Compassion celebrates the community self-determination, shared resources, and ecumenical partnership that makes this transformation and hope possible.

---