Clean Drinking Water for a Bamboo Hunter

Story experienced and written by Jemimah Sam Lobo

November 2024

Mae Tao Vieng, which translates to ‘Grandma Vieng’ lives in a little village named Oudommai. It is situated in Attapue, a south-eastern province in Laos. As we drive up a rugged road to meet Mae Tao Vieng, little wooden houses standing on stilts, silently watch us pass by. We finally arrive and are relieved to get off our small dusty truck.

          Wide smiles catch our gaze as Mae Tao Vieng and her beautiful daughter eagerly welcome us to their humble abode. Her grandchildren hover around us like bees around a flower. They pull up small wooden stools under their home, which like the rest, is built on stilts and provides relief from the morning sun. Mae Tao begins talking to us as if she has always known us. Her carefree attitude instantly puts us at ease. She knows we are the ‘Water People’.

          Not too long ago, TerraCare approached the Pho Baan, who is the village chief, and asked him to identify underprivileged families who deserved free TerraClear water filters in the Oudommai village. Mae Tao Vieng, her daughter, son in law and grandchildren were among the chosen few.

          Mae Tao Vieng is a hard working woman. She is a bamboo hunter and regularly treks deep into the dense forests along with other elderly women to find bamboo which is later sold at the local market. This is a small way in which she contributes towards household expenses.

          Mae Tao Vieng and her family had to buy bottled drinking water on a regular basis to meet the needs of their growing family. This was an unavoidable and unaffordable expense, but when they received the TerraClear water filter, they felt a sense of relief. “My mother is very happy to have a water filter in her house,” said her daughter.

          We asked Mae Tao Vieng what she liked about our TerraClear water filter. This is what she had to say: “ I am happy I have my own water filter. The water tastes good. I not only enjoy it myself but I also love to share it with my friends who go bamboo hunting with me.”