Kak Njoy is a 45-year old man living with his wife, Nan Li, in Chauong Kao village, and he has four children, three daughters and one son. Njoy has one hectare of land where his family grow the food that they eat. Normally, Njoy spends about two hours per day walking to his field, but from November to May, he sells spices and fruit in front of his house instead of farming.
In May 2010, there was an Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD)/cholera outbreak in Chauong Kao village. It affected almost all the families in the village, where levels of hygiene and sanitation were low. Health Poverty Action spent time helping the villagers learn how to protect their health and prevent disease through improving hygiene in the community. We provided emergency sanitation supplies like soap, towels, kettles and water carriers. These simple items mean that families can boil water before drinking it, clean their hands before eating and ensure food is thoroughly cooked.
Villagers now have a greater understanding of hygiene and sanitation practices and are empowered to prevent disease by following the simple steps they have learned. Njoy told us that he now understands how poor hygiene and sanitation practices in the past caused his family to be ill so often. He said:
“Now, both my family and other villagers have more understanding about hygiene and sanitation, and we are using and cleaning the materials provided by Health Poverty Action every day in order to avoid having diseases. We do not have to spend money for treatment like before.”
This work is supported by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO). 
Last modified: 21/04/2011
