Sambungan Air dan Inisiatif Pencegahan Malaria Sumba Timur 2023

Project release date : 20 Juni 2023
Project Leader : Alyuprayitno Umbu Makaborang (Kawan Ino)
Project Type : This project is implemented by Kawan Baik Indonesia Foundation on behalf of our partner who provided grant funding for this project.
Duration: 2 months

PROBLEM

The village of Laintangan is located in East Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. This hamlet is about 25 km from Waingapu, the capital of East Sumba Regency.

To meet their needs for clean water, residents in the Lain Dusun use rainwater during the rainy season with simple methods and limited knowledge and materials. Water stored in reservoirs, often open and without a filter system, creates contamination of light, air, and dirt. In the dry season, they fetch water from “kullup” located in hill valleys about 800-1500 meters away with a slope of up to 45 degrees. Another option is to buy tank water from downtown Waingapu.

Inadequate sanitation without toilets, septic tanks, and water absorption systems in the population currently needs to meet health standards, causing health problems to arise.

Road conditions without asphalt, rocky and slippery, make it difficult to mobilize people and goods. This is also an obstacle to supplying clean water with tank trucks. However, access is difficult in rainy and dry seasons, and only a few companies are willing to deliver water. When arriving at the location, the water tank is often less than what they pay because it spills when the vehicle shakes during the trip to the Laindatang hamlets.

There is a relationship between the combination of road access problems, clean water, and inadequate sanitation, which created environmental conditions that support the spread and increase of malaria cases. Laindatang is one of the hamlets in the Kota Waingapu sub-district, where access to examinations or case finding in the community still needs improvement, including malaria screening.

OUR ACTION

To improve infrastructure and people’s welfare, road access improvements will be carried out at three previously damaged points. Apart from that, two water reservoirs were also repaired, gutters were installed to collect rainwater, and a Rus Pump (Simple Water Pump) was added to make it easier to manage water, and the reservoir was tightly closed.

Furthermore, to improve sanitation and public health, two healthy sanitation booths have been built to meet the basic sanitation needs of the local population.

Not only that, the malaria early detection system is also actively implemented to minimize the spread of the disease.

At the same time, general health checks are also carried out to prevent and treat it early. All of these steps aim to improve the quality of life and overall well-being of society.

GOALS – EXPECTED RESULT

The steps aimed to improve the infrastructure and welfare of society as a whole.

Repairing access roads at three previously damaged points ensures that people can access important places quickly and safely. This will accelerate mobility and improve connectivity between different regions.

Repairing two water reservoirs, installing rainwater harvesting gutters, and adding a rus pump (Simple Water Pump) aim to ensure an adequate water supply for the community. Clean and safe water is essential for health and daily life. With this improvement, it is hoped that people can access clean water more efficiently and meet their daily needs.

The construction of 2 healthy sanitation booths aims to meet the basic sanitation needs of the local population. Access to proper sanitation facilities will improve people’s health and quality of life. Healthy sanitation cubicles can reduce the risk of infectious diseases and enhance the cleanliness of the surrounding environment.

Implementing a malaria early detection system and routine public health checks aims to improve public health. With early detection and regular health checks, the spread of malaria can be minimized, and treatment measures can be taken early. This will improve overall public health and reduce the burden of disease.

With these steps, it is hoped that society’s quality of life and welfare will increase. Good infrastructure, adequate water supply, proper sanitation, better disease prevention, and access to health care will positively impact people’s daily lives.

KAWAN BAIK ON AIR

In an effort to support Malaria Prevention Initiative Sumba Timur 2023 program, the Kawan Baik Indonesia Foundation has activities with Max Fm Waingapu, Epi Studio to create public service advertisements as a form of awareness for the people of Waingapu and its surroundings.

Why Radio? In Mahu and its surroundings, radio is one of the most effective means of communication, with a fairly wide reach. The hope is that the invitations and appeals about health care and vaccines that are conveyed repeatedly can be accepted by the community to be applied consciously.

Radio Max FM in Waingapu, with its own 96.9 FM band, also conveys a lot of information about health. In addition, it is also about rights and obligations as citizens, family life, social life, education, and other information and knowledge related to human life (East Sumba people).