Carolina's story

Carolina collecting water from the contaminated spring, 200 metres down a steep slope.

Credit: WaterAid / Dinesh

15 year old Carolina lives in Elcolbere Aldea, about four kilometers east of Alieu town, south of the capital, Dili.

Like all 31 households in her community Carolina's family have to collect their water from unprotected springs and streams.

Carolina has eight brothers and sisters and studies at the Junior High School in the village.

Twice a day she helps her mother collect water for the family. The nearest water source is an unprotected spring which is about 200 meters away from her home down a steep slope.

Her family uses about 60 litres of water a day for cooking, cleaning and drinking which means Carolina and her mother spend around three hours each day just collecting water.

Carolina and her family often get sick with diseases like diarrhoea as the water source is unprotected and open to contamination. The situation is worse during the dry season when the source can dry up completely forcing Carolina and her mother to walk even further to collect water.

WaterAid's programme in Aileu aims to provide Carolina's village with clean drinking water and a safe place to go to the toilet.

Credit: WaterAid / Dinesh

Carolina's family doesn't have a hygienic toilet so they use an open pig shed, which is common in Timor-Leste.

"I know that this is not a clean toilet." Carolina says, "but I have no choice. A clean toilet would be one where there was water for flushing and no flies.

"If a new water system is built, we will be very happy as it will save lot of time to collect water. Then there will be more time to clean the house and look after my little brothers and sisters. I would also have more time to read."

WaterAid's programme in Aileu hopes to provide Carolina's village, and another nearby, with shared community tapstands, which will provide safe water close to home.

The integrated water and sanitation programme also aims to provide all families in these villages with clean, safe toilets and hygiene education in order to reduce the incidence of easily preventable illnesses.