Ko Aung Win is
the Headman of Nyaung Pin Zauk village of 100 houses and 500 people. He was
elected, democratically, three years ago by the villagers. He is known to have
vision, be able to organize and achieve the villagers’ desired results. And so
it would seem. Two years ago the village water tank (read lake) was increased
to double its size. Rammed earth-retaining walls of about six metres were
built. The government supplied the machinery the villagers did the work. The water
it holds is used for washing and laundry, but it’s not drinking water.
The Headman took
me on his motorbike to another lake about a kilometre away on the other side of
the village. This is drinking water and last year the villagers managed to dig
it out and double its size. Eventually we came to the source of the lake: a
large, rock-surrounded pool that has an all-year-round flowing spring beneath.
Enlarging this is the next project. Already the villagers have plumbed its
depth to more than five metres. They now wonder how much wider it could become
and they aim to find out.
Bullock carts
can’t get near the spring as the terrain is too rocky and anyway many in the
village don’t have a bullock cart. Some women walk up to a kilometre each day
carrying full water containers on their head.
I ask Ko Aung
Win if he has a plan for next year. Yes, he has, he tells me. He wants to give
every house a pipe for drinking water. $1,000 would purchase the pipes needed
for the 100 houses. Where to find that money is my puzzle now.
No comments:
Post a Comment