The Tagore-SenGupta Foundation has provided the needed funding to CFC to install this system. More importantly, at the request of the TS Foundation, CFC will use a community water model similar to the arsenic water removal system in India. With this approach, the water system will be installed, giving 180 more students access to clean water and will connect the community with the school through the water system. Currently CFC's water systems are open to the public without organizing the community around the systems. It is good that more people have access to clean water, but the community is completely dependent on CFC to maintain and upkeep the well. As the TS Foundation knows, dependency is not development. The country director of CFC loved the idea of a community system. He has already spoken with the commune chief. The chief will soon call a meeting of the village to persuade families to participate in the community water system later this month. The idea is simple: a small tariff will be collected from each family in return to unlimited access to clean water; the village will hire a villager to run and maintain the system on the school's ground; and the money will be controlled by an elected water council. Hopefully some entrepreneurial villagers will figure out more ways to make money using this system. This model connects school and community through a water filter. Wealth is generated by hiring a local employee and giving financial independence to the water council. The tariff collected will not be used by CFC in any way. Additionally, since the system is on school grounds, the filter itself will be a direct link to both primary and secondary education. On the primary level, this system will provide information about clean water habits and hygiene to the young students. For students in the 7th grade, experiments connected to the water filter—and potentially water wells around the community—will contribute to both "life skills" and the science curriculum. This system will connect many dots, and will meet the mission of CFC and the TS foundation.
The Caring for Cambodia sponsored Aranh School is expanding to lower secondary school. With more students comes an increase demand for clean water. The TS Foundation is using this opportunity to introduce a community water model at the school.