From unsafe streams to safe Sips

In Wa Zun Chaung, a remote, forest-fringed village in southeast Myanmar’s Dawei Township, clean water has always been scarce — and daily life is a test of endurance. The narrow roads flood easily, cutting off access to nearby towns. Health facilities and markets are far, and essential services are limited. 

For most families, meeting even the most basic needs — especially safe drinking water — requires constant effort and sacrifice. Many rely on nearby ponds or streams, knowing the water isn’t always clean but having few alternatives. 

“There’s no tap, no well that gives safe water,” said Daw Shwe War, 42, a mother of five. “We collect water from ponds or the stream. Some days it’s okay. Other days, we know it’s not clean—but we drink it anyway.” 

Every morning, Daw Shwe War’s children took turns walking nearly a kilometre to fetch water from the stream. In the dry months, it slowed to a murky trickle. During the rains, it overflowed—polluted with runoff, animal waste, and debris. 

“We boiled it when we could,” she says. “But firewood is expensive, and some days we just can’t afford it. Some families borrow. Others, like us, drink it as it is—even when we know it’s not safe.”

The consequences were predictable—and dangerous. Her youngest child, only six, has been sick repeatedly with diarrhoea.

“He’s already so small,” she says. “Every time he gets sick, I think—what if he doesn’t recover?”

Buying clean water is out of reach for most families. “One bottle costs more than a meal,” she explains. “So, we ration or rely on neighbours who also don’t have enough.”

When it rains, it brings dread, not relief. Latrines flood. Streams turn brown. Children fall ill.

“You’re surrounded by water—but none of it is safe,” she says. “And when your child is vomiting, dehydrated, crying—it feels like you’ve failed them.”

While Wa Zun Chaung has not been directly hit by conflict, the crisis in Myanmar surrounds it. Displacement from neighbouring areas has brought new families seeking shelter and water. Prices of essentials — including water — have soared. 

For Daw Shwe War and many other families in Wa Zun Chaung, each day had been a test of endurance — carrying not just heavy buckets of water, but the weight of uncertainty, sacrifice, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going in the face of chronic hardship. 

In early 2024, a team from a UNICEF partner arrived in the village with exactly what families needed most: clean water solutions and essential hygiene supplies—thanks to generous funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Every household received a LifeStraw water filter bucket—simple, durable, and life-saving. 

“I was shocked when they explained how it worked,” Daw Shwe War recalls. “Just pour the stream water in and clean water comes out. I didn’t think it was possible. Now, I don’t worry every time my child takes a sip.”

Alongside the water filters, hygiene kits tailored to household needs were distributed. These included soap, detergent, toothbrushes, and sanitary pads — basic but often inaccessible items for many families in Wa Zun Chaung. 

“Before this, the girls used old cloth or stayed home,” Daw Shwe War explained. “They felt uncomfortable and ashamed. Now, they can move freely and with confidence.” 

As part of the integrated support provided to the community, families also received tarpaulin sheets and ropes to help reinforce their shelters or prepare for sudden weather shocks such as flooding or windstorms. A community handwashing station was installed as well, promoting healthy habits among children and helping reduce the spread of disease — especially during the rainy season, when latrines overflow and water sources become contaminated.  

“Now the children line up to wash their hands. They’ve made it part of their routine,” she smiles.  

“That’s something I never thought I’d see.” 

What may seem like a small change is, for families in Wa Zun Chaung, a powerful sign of progress. In a village where safe water was once out of reach and waterborne illness a constant threat, these habits are helping children stay healthy — and giving families a renewed sense of control and dignity. 

“This may look small. But it brought us back time, health, and a little hope. And that is no small thing,” said Daw Shwe. 

With CERF support, UNICEF and its local and community-based partners are delivering life-saving assistance to vulnerable communities across Myanmar. In areas where families face the compounding effects of conflict, displacement, and poverty, flexible and timely, community-driven responses remain essential — often making the difference between illness and prevention, between coping and crisis. 

“It was the kind of support we could use — clean water, soap, and simple things that made daily life safer,” said Daw Shwe War. “It gave us a sense of certainty that our children would be okay, at least for that day.” 

Today, Daw Shwe War’s children go to school more regularly. They drink without fear. And she no longer wakes up wondering how far she’ll have to walk for water. 

“I still worry—about food, about safety, about what will come next. But at least I don’t have to worry about water.” 

*This story was originally published on the UNICEF Myanmar website.