Water for Fitri

When Sumy was a young girl her family did not have access to safe water. They had a borewell, but it yielded very little water, and eventually dried up. At that point, it became the responsibility of young Sumy to collect water for her family.  

Now an adult, Sumy, along with her husband, makes a home in her childhood village of Jambu Karya, a peri-urban village outside of Tangerang, Indonesia. Sumy and her husband earn a simple living through the sale of furniture. It is a difficult business to run in Jambu Karya, the neighbors can't really afford the new furniture as food, water, and basic shelter are the priorities. These priorities hold true for Sumy as well, so her husband goes outside of their village during the day to do business.

Sumy has a five year old daughter named Fitri. The thought of raising Fitri without safe drinking water was unfathomable to Sumy. In the interest of Fitri’s health and her future, the couple was pleased their furniture business could help them afford to take out a small loan to construct a water tap on their property. 

Now, Sumy’s family has safe, running water. Sumy explained how pleased she is to have a tap, "I am so happy to have water at home for Fitri. She won't have to go through what I went through as a little girl. Fitri is in kindergarten and she is learning so much. I did not attend school at her age. I want her to attend college, maybe become a doctor. I am happy we can help her do this, I hope Fitri will have a very successful life."

The success of this story was made possible by a generous grant from the Caterpillar Foundation.