Over a thousand residents in Barangay Mabuhay, Marabut, Samar, now have confidence that they are drinking clean water, after a collaborative effort between The Zain Jaffer Foundation and Waves for Water Philippines.
In September, the barangay’s 350 households received gravity-fed water filters to purify water from their local source. The donated filters require no electricity, can last up to a decade, and are capable of cleaning more than a million gallons of water.
Each of the 58 donated filters will be shared among six families, with community leaders trained on the proper assembly, use, cleaning, and maintenance. The hands-on training looks to empower locals to manage their water supply independently. Additionally, nine handwashing stations were donated to the Mabuhay Elementary School to encourage better hygiene practices among students.
TACKLING WATER CHALLENGES
Barangay Mabuhay’s residents depend on seven communal taps, all drawing from a spring well in the nearby mountains.
“Karamihan talaga [ng mga residente] nag-iigib,” said Shirley Daga, a barangay kagawad in Barangay Mabuhay. “Marami sa amin, hindi po kayang gumastos ng one thousand five hundred pesos kada buwan para sa mineral water. Kaya dito talaga sila nag-iigib ng inuming tubig.” [Majority of our residents fetch water from these taps. Most of us cannot afford to spend one thousand five hundred pesos per month on mineral water. So this is really where they get their drinking water.]
Although annual tests show the water is safe for drinking, residents report it often turns cloudy and yellow during heavy rains. Over the past year, three cases of diarrhea have been recorded in the community, raising potential underlying impacts of the water supply.
The newly donated filters, which use micro-tube technology, offer an added layer of purification, ensuring the water is free of harmful bacteria. This simple yet effective solution is expected to reduce health risks and give residents peace of mind.
TOWARDS SELF-RELIANCE
This marks The Zain Jaffer Foundation’s second initiative in the Philippines, following a successful pilot project in Barangay Laiban, Rizal, which also provided water filters to over 200 families in the community.
By equipping locals with the tools and knowledge to manage their own water supply, this ongoing partnership hopes to alleviate the negative impacts of unsafe water practices in the country, one household at a time.
“Seeing communities take ownership of their health and well-being through simple, sustainable solutions like these filters is incredibly rewarding,” said Zain Jaffer, founder of The Zain Jaffer Foundation. “Our hope is that this access to clean water brings greater peace of mind and improved health to the families of Barangay Mabuhay, and we look forward to supporting more communities in the future.”*
