Myanmar: A CERF-supported project that brought clean water and dignity to a village

“This project didn’t just bring water. It brought dignity. It brought strength. It brought a future.” – Daw Win Kyi, resident of Chaung Wa, Myanmar.

For years, families in Chaung Wa village in Myanmar’s Dry Zone faced daily hardship accessing safe water.

With only one shallow, unprotected dug well, women and children walked long distances at dawn to queue for water that often ran low in the dry season and turned muddy during sudden storms.

The unreliable supply increased the risk of waterborne disease, reduced school attendance, and limited time for income‑earning activities.

Through support from Kakao Bank, UNICEF and partners introduced a solar-powered water supply system designed to withstand the area’s extreme heat and climate variability.

The project rehabilitated the village’s dug well, installed solar panels and a pumping system, built a new reservoir, and extended a piped distribution network to deliver clean water directly to households. Villagers also planted trees to stabilise the watershed and improve long-term water availability.

Community participation was central. Men and women volunteered to dig trenches, fence the site and help install the solar structures.

A newly trained community water management committee now operates and maintains the system, ensuring sustainability and resilience against seasonal climate shocks, thanks to funding support from the OCHA-managed UN Global Emergency Fund (CERF).

Committee members are now equipped to manage the system confidently, ensuring clean, reliable water for every household in Chaung Wa.

Women have regained time for rest and work, children no longer miss school to fetch water, and families report improved health. For many, the sun — once a symbol of hardship — has become a source of dignity and hope.

“This project didn’t just bring water,” said villager Daw Win Kyi. “It brought dignity. It brought strength. It brought a future.”

Read more about the project here: https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/stories/sun-brought-us-clean-water

Posted January 2026.

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