UNICEF and other non-governmental organizations recently held an installation of solar water pumps in the province of Leyte in the Philippines.

A victim of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the province of Leyte and its communities were destroyed, their homes, their schools, their lives. Now, steps are being taken to further advance the accessibility of sanitation and drinking water systems to the communities needing them the most: the poor.

?The solar pumps were installed within rainwater harvesting systems for schools that are in off-grid, rural communities. In LDMES, rainwater harvesting was done by installing PVC gutter tubes on classroom roofs. Collected rainwater flows into a 7,000-liter cemented ground cistern. Solar pumps transport water from the cisterns to fill an elevated 2,000 liter water tank. Through the elevated water tank, enough pressure is created to supply water to the school?s hand washing facility and toilets.? (UNICEF)

These solar water pumps were installed in 95 schools, with an estimated reach of 30,000 schoolchildren. Along with the installation of these systems were programs that taught parents and teachers about methods to save water, teaching the adults and the children to treasure and value this pressure resource.

Locals are relieved because the risk of a lack of clean water in times of disasters are reduced due to these systems, and they are also glad that young students will now have more time for education as there will be less need to fetch water from wells and rivers which reduce their time focused on education and also expose their families to health risks. Truly, this initiative benefits the locals of Leyte.

Source: https://medium.com/@unicefphils/solar-pumps-yield-clean-water-for-schoolchildren-in-leyte-philippines-b335c4340030