Commencing in July 2014, the Hatete Water Project is Timor Leste Vision’s brand new initiative!
In Timor Leste (East Timor) 300,000 people do not have access to safe water, approximately 700,000 people don’t have access to adequate sanitation and over 160 children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. [www.wateraid.org/au/where-we-work/page/timor-leste]
The small isolated village of Hatete in the Ermera district is just one of many communities impacted. Home to over 77 families, Hatete has a community school, chapel and a small hospital. However the only source of water available to the community is a 3km walk away.
Timor Leste Vision (TLV) is working with the Hatete community to address this urgent need.
TLV were introduced to Hatete when community leaders and the Parish of Hatolia submitted a joint project proposal to TLV in 2013. The proposal detailed Hatete’s urgent need, along with community’s commitment to the project. They also detailed their strategy for ensuring the long-term maintenance of the water delivery system.
After gaining the support of Timor Leste’s Department of Water and Sanitation, TLV formalised the partnership with the Hatete community through the signing of a detailed partnership agreement in July 2014. There are two stages to the project.
Stage1: Water delivery system
The system will deliver water to the community facilities including the school and hospital and to all 77 households. As of July 2014, TLV is about to commence this stage.
Stage 2: Sanitation
Public toilets will be built at the school. TLV will work with the school to develop and deliver lessons regarding the importance of hygiene. This will work to address the drop out rates of female students which are impacted by the lack of access to clean toilets.
“This opportunity (water project) will possibly never come again, and we are committed to ensure its success, so that our children and women will finally get access to clean water without having to walk miles down the hill”
– Joao Brites –Catequista (Community Elder)
The TLV team is extremely excited about our new project and the impact it will have on the Hatate community! But without the ‘Friends of TLV’ we could not continue as this initiative relies on the generous contributions of our supporters.
Please contact the TLV team if you would like more information on this project.
Ethical Investments awarded a grant for this project and was acknowledged at a ceremony when the project was commissioned.
