I. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT:
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Implementation context:
For residents living along the Xang Xeo Tra Cu canal in Hamlet 1 and the Ong Lam area in Hamlet 3, Long Thanh commune — located in the remote northern region of Thu Thua district, Long An province — clean water remains a luxury. Hamlet 3 alone is home to 459 households with a total population of 1,917. The Ong Lam area comprises 56 households with 152 residents, and the area also includes several schools at various levels: kindergarten, primary, and lower secondary. The local lower secondary school has 25 classes with a total of 751 students. Transportation infrastructure in this region remains underdeveloped, making access to basic services difficult. Moreover, the area is frequently affected by flooding, further limiting access to clean water. During the saltwater intrusion season, residents along the Xang Xeo Tra Cu canal (Hamlet 1) and in the Ong Lam area (Hamlet 3) face severe shortages of safe, hygienic water for daily use.
Currently, many low-income households in the area rely on rainwater, river water, or canal water for their daily needs such as bathing, laundry, and cooking. Since MSD United Way Viet Nam, in collaboration with MoMo’s Piggy Bank initiative and other sponsors, supported the construction of several drilled well systems, residents have begun to access cleaner and safer water sources for daily use. However, in order to ensure that the water meets hygiene standards, protects public health, and aligns with the criteria set by the National Target Program on New Rural Development, further support is needed. Specifically, residents require assistance to build and install proper water filtration tanks — with the hope of supplying clean water that meets the Ministry of Health’s quality standards.
Many households are still using river and canal water for daily activities.
n recent years, repeated floods and droughts, coupled with outbreaks of avian influenza, have severely affected the already struggling local economy — pushing it to the brink of collapse. The poverty rate remains high in the Xang Xeo Tra Cu canal area (Hamlet 1) and the Ong Lam area (Hamlet 3), making it difficult for local residents to contribute financially to the construction of clean water facilities. Following the motto "The State and the People work together," the Long Thanh commune authorities have covered 60% of the costs to build clean water filtration systems for local households. However, due to ongoing economic hardship, the community has been unable to raise the remaining funds needed to fully implement the clean water system in the area.
2. Project implementation timeline: From February 2023 to April 2024
3. Method of project implementation:
– The residents of the Ong Lam area, Hamlet 3, Long Thanh commune, Long An province, are responsible for implementing the project under a Community-Based Management model, overseeing the entire construction process themselves.
– Local authorities at all levels, Hoc Mon Ceporer and Long Thanh Commune Red Cross Society provide support in methods and techniques.
II. ACHIEVEMENTS:
Ahead of the scorching dry season, MSD United Way Viet Nam, in collaboration with Ceporer Hoc Mon and the People's Committee of Long Thanh Commune, successfully completed the upgraded clean water treatment system with a filtration tank in the Ong Lam area, Hamlet 3, Long Thanh Commune, Long An Province. Thanks to this project, local residents can now feel more secure, no longer needing to travel long distances to buy clean water for daily use.
