Battambang, KH – Parmiters students return to Battambang, enjoy construction and new friends – 7 Aug 2019

19 students, 3 teachers, and 1 True Adventure leader from Parmiters School spent 6 days in Battambang working with Healthy Life Reinforcement. The group assisted Healthy Life to expand their organic vegetable gardening program and they built toilets and water reservoirs with families who already have productive vegetable gardens. Their accomplishments included:

• 4 organic compost piles
• 4 family vegetable gardens
• 300 vegetable seedlings
• 2 family toilets
• 2 family water reservoirs

Healthy Life hires tuk tuk drivers to transport students around the community. Many students reported that the relationships they built with their tuk tuk drivers was a highlight of the trip. “I loved the tuk tuk drivers,” wrote one student, “They were very helpful and very fun to talk to. I felt a real connection with them.”

Another student wrote, “Everybody was lovely and welcoming. I made very close bonds with all of the tuk tuk drivers.”

The toilets the students built will improve families’ health by providing a safer alternative to using common “drop-pit” style toilets. Drop-pit toilets feature a small hole over a 30-foot pit that the user squats over supported by a piece of wood. The new toilets will also improve the health of the whole community by reducing incidents of people defecating in bushes or water sources.

Water reservoirs help families bridge the long gap between rainy seasons. During the dry season, families must either pay for water or walk long distances to fetch it. Having a reservoir at home saves time and money that families can put towards education or income earning opportunities.