Background
24 Sep – Water level at Rajang River has risen to a dangerous level and placed Kapit, Song and Kanowit on high alert. Kapit District, known as the flood epicentre, and many schools located next to the river experienced floodwaters 20 metres higher than the normal level.
With the coordination of our local partner, LightHouse Kapit, CREST contributed RM5,000 to provide immediate essential items to several boarding schools. We also received request for water filtration system in several remote areas.
Objectives
Network and collaborate with local partner for short-term and long-term plan.
Install a water filtration system for Sek Keb. Ng Kain.
Conduct needs assessment with the local partner.
Team Members
Dr Lee Chee San (LightHouse Kapit)
Cheong Chee Keen (CREST)
Travel Events
23 Sep – Arrived at Sibu from Kuala Lumpur, checked-in at Win Hotel, Sibu. Met with Rev Francis Wong from the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference.
24 Sep
0730 – Took the express ferry from Sibu to Kapit (2.5 hours). Lunch at Kapit town and checked-in at LightHouse Kapit.
1225 – Departed from LightHouse to Untang Jaya Kam N 1° 57.448', E 113° 18.386' (2 hours journey) to get to the boat pickup spot. Arrived at SK Ng Kain N 1° 56.876′ E 113° 19.264’ via a private boat (15 mins journey) arranged by the Guru Besar SK Ng Kain.
1500 – Side survey, conducted water filter system briefing, hands-on training, and fixed up the water filter. Tested the water quality with ReadyCult Coliforms 100 water test kit.
1715 – Return to base.
25 Sep
0730 – Gelanggang Makan (Breakfast).
0900 – Conducted needs assessment at SK Nanga Bawai. N 2° 0.542', E 113° 5.237'
1047 – Arrived at SK Lepong Balleh N 2° 0.723', E 113° 1.546'
1300 – Lunch meeting with Bro Ting, Rev Hii from Kapit CAC.
1500 – Met local staff from the Ministry of Education.
1800 – Meeting with representatives from Rumah Janin Sg. Seranau.
Activities 1. Water Filtration System in Emergency Location : Sekolah Kebangsaan Ng Kain (N 1° 56.876′ E 113° 19.264’) Number of Resident : 80 people (teachers and students) Person in Charge:Mr. Sham Bin Sepah
Floodwater rose up to 20 metres high from the riverbank (right photo). School teachers, workers, and students in the boarding school at SK Ng Kain were evacuated from their hostel around 4 am.
After the water resided, our local partner delivered 47 sets of mattresses (including pillow cases and blankets), food items and 25 boxes of drinking water (top-left photo).
There are many boarding schools in Kapit which do not have piped water. Some schools harvest rainwater using a gravity-fed system from the mountain. In SK Ng Kain, gravity-fed rainwater harvest system has already been installed but it is not safe for consumption. Hence, the school depends on bottled water bought from Kapit Town for drinking and cooking (2 hours journey).
During our visitation, we installed SkyHydrant GEM (a water filtration system for emergency) together with the school teachers. Maintenance is the key for this system to continue to run on its maximum life span.
SkyHydrant GEM can function without electrical supply and has a maximum filter capacity of 6,000 litres of drinking water per day (0.04 microns). According to the manufacturer’s whitepaper, it can function for up to 10 years with proper maintenance.
2. Assessment
Location: Sekolah Kebangsaan Nanga Bawai (N 2° 0.542', E 113° 5.237') Number of Resident : Teachers & Staff – 30, Students – 200
Damage Report:
1. There are 30 sets of tables and chairs that have been reported damaged at the kindergarten.
2. Mud covered the main road blocking access to the school. ‘Gotong-royong’ will be called which requires RM500 for the cost of renting the cleaning equipment.
3. Rainwater catchment system has been disconnected resulting in a cut-off of water supply for the school. Despite being 30 minutes away from Kapit Town, there is no connection to the town’s water pipe system.
Current Situation:
1. The local government has distributed food pack to teachers and staffs.
2. No help rendered from any NGO.
3. For drinking water, the school is spending an average of RM300 per week to purchase bottled water from Kapit town.
2 x 1.5L per teacher / staff (30) = 60 bottles per day
1 carton = 12 bottles (1.5L) = 5 cartons per day
1-week (6 days x 5) x RM10 per carton = RM300 per week
Location : Rh Janin Anak Mikal, Lubok Baya, Sg Seranau, Kapit Sarawak. (10 minutes from Kapit Passenger Ferry Terminal) Number of Resident : 17 Households (Door) , 78 Residents
Recommendation:
Prioritise requests from schools for drinking water.
Without any additional activities, Sek. Keb. Nanga Bawai is spending RM300 per month to purchase bottled water, incurring a running cost of RM3,600 a year. However, a unit of SkyHydrant GEM costs less than RM9,000 (inclusive transportation) and can be used for up to 10 years with an output of 6,000 litres of water daily.
Submitted by CK Cheong Date: 15 October 2020