Safe Drinking Water and Hygiene for Myanmar Migrant Students in Mae Sot
Proposed Pilot Project
Myanmar Relief is developing a proposed clean-water and hygiene pilot project for Myanmar migrant students in Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand.
The project is currently in the planning and local-partner assessment stage. The final learning center, number of students, equipment, budget and implementation schedule will be confirmed after a site assessment, water-quality testing and a written agreement with a qualified local partner.
Why This Project Is Needed
Mae Sot receives significant rainfall during the monsoon season, but abundant water does not always mean safe drinking water.
Rainwater, wells, storage tanks and other local water sources may become contaminated by:
- Floodwater and surface runoff
- Dirty roofs and gutters
- Unsafe storage tanks
- Animal waste
- Damaged pipes
- Poor sanitation
- Improper handling and storage
Children need more than access to water. They need water that is properly collected or sourced, treated, safely stored and regularly tested.
Unsafe drinking water and inadequate hygiene facilities can contribute to illness, missed school days and additional financial hardship for migrant families.
Our Proposed Goal
Myanmar Relief plans to work with one migrant learning center in Mae Sot to improve access to:
- Safe drinking water
- Secure water storage
- Functional handwashing stations
- Soap and hygiene supplies
- Hygiene education
- Regular water-quality testing
- Locally manageable maintenance systems
The pilot may serve approximately 100 to 150 students, depending on the selected learning center and verified enrollment.
Planned Project Activities
1. Local Needs Assessment
Before purchasing equipment, Myanmar Relief and its local partner will inspect the learning center’s existing water source, storage tanks, drinking-water practices, handwashing facilities and seasonal challenges.
Teachers, parents, community leaders and school operators will be consulted before the final system is selected.
2. Water-Quality Testing
Water samples will be collected from the source, storage tank and drinking-water outlet.
Testing may include:
- E. coli
- Total coliform bacteria
- Turbidity
- pH
- Iron and manganese
- Nitrate
- Arsenic or other locally relevant contaminants
- Free chlorine when chlorination is used
Myanmar Relief will not describe the water as safe for drinking based only on its appearance or taste.
3. Water Collection and Treatment
The final system will depend on the assessment and laboratory results.
Possible equipment may include:
- Roof gutters and downpipes
- Leaf screens
- First-flush rainwater diverter
- Covered food-grade storage tank
- Sediment filters
- Appropriate disinfection system
- Safe drinking-water taps
- Pipes, valves and drainage
- Handwashing stations
- Soap dispensers
- Water-testing supplies
- Replacement filters and spare parts
If an existing well, municipal source or delivered-water system is more reliable, the project may improve that system instead of installing rainwater collection.
4. Handwashing and Hygiene Education
Students will receive practical instruction about:
- When and how to wash their hands
- Drinking only from approved water outlets
- Keeping cups and bottles clean
- Protecting stored water from contamination
- Using toilets safely
- Reporting leaks, unusual color, bad smells or equipment problems
- Keeping the school environment clean
Educational materials will be age-appropriate and available in languages understood by the students.
5. Local Operator Training
At least two responsible adults will be trained to operate and maintain the system.
Training will cover:
- Daily inspections
- Tank and gutter cleaning
- Filter replacement
- Safe disinfection procedures
- Water-testing records
- Equipment failure
- Chemical storage
- Temporary system closure when water safety is uncertain
- Repair and maintenance reporting
Training more than one person will reduce the risk of the system failing when one operator is unavailable.
Expected Results
The proposed project aims to achieve the following results:
- Improved access to drinking water for participating students and teachers
- Functional handwashing stations with soap
- Water-quality testing before and after treatment
- At least two trained system operators
- Hygiene education for participating students
- Written maintenance and testing records
- Fewer interruptions caused by equipment or water-storage problems
- A documented model that may be used at other migrant learning centers
Monitoring and Accountability
Myanmar Relief and its local partner will maintain records of:
- Water availability
- Water-quality test results
- Cleaning and maintenance
- Filter replacement
- Disinfection procedures
- Soap availability
- Repairs and equipment failures
- Project expenses
- Number of students served
- Training and hygiene-education activities
Myanmar Relief plans to publish a donor-friendly project report showing:
- Funds received
- Funds spent
- Equipment purchased
- Activities completed
- Number of people served
- Water-testing results
- Challenges and corrective actions
- Lessons learned
Child Safety and Dignity
Because this project will serve children, Myanmar Relief will follow basic child-safeguarding and privacy procedures.
These will include:
- Obtaining permission before photographing students
- Avoiding publication of identifying personal information
- Using respectful and non-discriminatory language
- Keeping treatment chemicals and equipment away from children
- Securing tanks, pumps and construction areas
- Providing a way to report safety concerns
- Serving students without discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, legal status or political opinion
Local Partnership
Myanmar Relief will not implement the project independently without a trusted local organization or learning-center partner.
A written agreement will define:
- Partner responsibilities
- Ownership of equipment
- Maintenance duties
- Financial controls
- Reporting requirements
- Water-testing responsibilities
- Procedures for equipment failure
- Procedures for addressing safety concerns
Preliminary Funding Goal
The estimated funding need for the pilot is approximately:
US$5,000 to US$10,000
The final amount will depend on:
- Site conditions
- Laboratory findings
- Water-source type
- Equipment requirements
- Local supplier quotations
- Installation costs
- Training needs
- Monitoring requirements
This amount is a preliminary planning estimate and not a final project quotation.
Project Status
This project is currently in the planning and assessment stage.
The final location, student enrollment, equipment, budget and implementation schedule will be confirmed only after Myanmar Relief completes:
- A local needs assessment
- Water-quality testing
- Technical review
- Local supplier quotations
- A written partnership agreement
- Board approval
Myanmar Relief will update this page as the project develops.
Support This Proposed Project
Your support can help Myanmar Relief assess, install and monitor a safe drinking-water and hygiene system for Myanmar migrant students in Mae Sot.
Donations may support:
- Water-quality testing
- Storage tanks
- Filtration and disinfection
- Pipes and drinking-water taps
- Handwashing stations
- Soap and hygiene supplies
- Installation labor
- Local operator training
- Replacement filters
- Maintenance and monitoring
- Project reporting
Donations designated for this project will be used for project assessment, equipment, installation, testing, hygiene education, monitoring and related program expenses.
If the project cannot proceed as originally planned, Myanmar Relief may use restricted contributions for a substantially similar clean-water or hygiene project, subject to donor instructions and applicable requirements.
Help Protect Children’s Health, Dignity, and Education
Safe drinking water supports children’s health, dignity, school attendance and ability to learn.
Myanmar Relief’s goal is to develop a practical, transparent and locally manageable clean-water project that can produce measurable results and, when successful, be expanded to other migrant learning centers.