« IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Pampa Sarkar, India
For the first 15 years of her life in the Rajberia village in West Bengal, India, Pampa Sarkar thought she was drinking clean, safe water. Although the water had a foul smell, bad taste and anyone who had seen or tasted clean water would have known it was contaminated, Pampa and her family and friends grew up drinking it. Beyond that, they had no other options for getting water.
That all changed in 2009 when Watermark partner Water For People arrived in Pampas village to install an arsenic removal filter. Arsenic is present naturally in soil and seeps into groundwater supplies around the world.
On my first sip, I recognized the difference between clean, arsenic-safe water and the old contaminated water I used to drink, says Sarkar. I am lucky to be a student at this school and feel I now have a longer, better life in front of me because of this water improvement project.
Water For People identified several water ambassadors, including Pampa, to teach their fellow students and teachers about the importance of water and hygiene.
Through these projects and a commitment to sustainability, ITT and Water For People helped provide clean water for the village of Rajberia for years to come.
Nelsy Garcia, Colombia
Floods were a common occurrence for Nelsy Garcia, a single mother of five who relocated to La Cangrejera after fleeing her home due to internal strife raging in other parts of Colombia. Nelsy settled in an urban slum of the city of Barranquilla, which faced recurring floods following seasonal rains that caused the nearby river to swell.
Nelsy was trying to make the best of her situation, working informal jobs while looking for ways to move her family to higher ground. She even tried to take advantage of the recurring floods by creating a fish pond to provide food and income for her family. Unfortunately, the rising tide of the adjacent estuary made this impossible.
Help came for Nelsy and others in her area when Watermark and Mercy Corps stepped in to mitigate the effects of the floods, and to protect against rising waters in the future. Mercy Corps staff worked with the community and regional government to provide temporary relief from the recurring floods by building a sandbag barrier to contain flooding in the nearby estuary. ITT also provided four self-priming pumps that enabled community emergency response groups to mitigate flooding by removing stagnant water. Along with improved living conditions, Nelsy is also enjoying her now-successful fish pond.
Now that I know that the river wont take my fish or flood my house, I can begin working and make some money, while still being with my kids, Nelsy said.
In partnership with Mercy Corps, Watermark empowered a vulnerable community to protect itself against the rising tide that had threatened thousands in La Cangrejera.
ALSO IN THE SPOTLIGHT
» Get to know Watermark
» Collaboration is key
» It’s our responsibility
