BACKGROUND

Indonesia is home to 6% of the world's freshwater resources (The Center for Public Integrity 2003), yet access to clean water is a major problem. Long-term squatter encampments, which can most succinctly be described as kampungs in vernacular Bahasa Indonesia, constitute a majority of the population without access to clean water and consequently, unacceptable sanitation conditions.

A kampung is self-regulated by residents through an organized social structure, frequently including civic and religious leaders as well as representatives from throughout the community. Family groups maintain personal shelters and an open-fire cooking area, both cobbled together with scavenged or inexpensive, locally available materials. Kampung dwellers commonly collect and scavenge garbage for items of value for resale or reuse and then burn the remainder (the average daily income for the scavengers is just over US$1.)

Public utilities are rarely available to these urban poor groups, so frequently the focal point of such communities is a water feature such as a river or drainage canal. These waterways are, almost without exception, choked with litter, detritus and debris such as sewerage and industrial byproducts. Many of these kampungs in the Jakarta area are located in urban flood plains, which frequently flood and are doomed with drainage issues. Considering sewage treatment is virtually non-existent, the looming raw sewage exacerbates poor health and hygiene conditions. Where septic tanks do exists, they are commonly near water wells. Piles of trash are also commonly seen burning near water wells of dwellings. Both indicate an imperative need for education in water health and sanitation.

Simple changes in hygiene practices can make a substantial difference in community health. Implementing water and sanitation technologies will not make a sustainable difference in community health if not combined with appropriate hygiene education. Applying educational activities to tackle the issues of poor sanitation and water conditions is the progressive approach taken by this program to create a lasting impact. This incentive irrefutably addresses UN Millennium Development Goals to reduce diseases and improve health as major factors in child mortality are inadequate access to clean water and sanitation.