Everything changed for Sara through a Samaritan’s Purse water project.

The Water Crisis Is Here

“[Sara’s] family could not afford the expensive medical bills with the money they made from rice farming,” said our local Christian partner. “They had no choice but to borrow as much money as they could from neighbors.”

God healed Sara through the care she received. But without safe drinking water, the danger would remain. Less than one-third of Cambodian families have access to safe drinking water. Each year, over 800,000 people die from diseases caused by unclean water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene habits. The majority of these are children living in developing countries like Sara. Constant illness weighs on parents who struggle to work and children to stay in school. But there is a solution!

Water Filters Save Lives

Because children are by far the most vulnerable to the deadly consequences of unsafe drinking water, Samaritan’s Purse constructed a large BioSand Filter at Sara’s school. Now, through the prayers and support of friends like you, abundant safe water is available every day for students and staff, plus the surrounding community.

Since 1998, Samaritan’s Purse has installed water filters at over 500 schools and in more than 300,000 homes. In Cambodia, 31,000 smaller household BioSand filters have been installed in the last 17 years. Last year, thousands of Cambodian children received access to safe water through the installation of large filters at 13 schools.

• The Canadian-invented BioSand Water Filter uses layers of sand, gravel, and naturally occurring micro-organisms to remove bacteria and parasites that make people sick.
• The filters require no electricity and are simple for families to maintain.
• The BioSand Filter can reduce bacteria by 95 percent and turbidity (cloudiness) by 85 percent.
• Filters installed decades ago still produce safe water today! Families also receive hygiene training to help create a healthy home.
• The large school BioSand Filter can provide 225-300 staff and students with safe water daily.
• Samaritan’s Purse also drills wells, builds reservoirs, and installs other types of filters.

Three new trash bins and an incinerator also provide ways to safely dispose of garbage and keep the school grounds clean. The incinerator is specially designed to remove garbage without compromising air quality. Samaritan’s Purse installed latrines and hand-washing stations, teaching the children to use the facilities to stay healthy.

As we work with local churches to share the gift of safe water, God opens doors to share about the “living water” (John 4:10) Jesus gives.