Koenraad Vancraeynest, UNV Water and Sanitation Officer, is happy to be able to contribute to small-scale rural water and sanitation projects that have a big impact on daily life, especially for women and children. "As a UN Volunteer with UNICEF, it is for me an everyday responsibility and a challenge to pass these values on," says Koenraad.
As a UNV Water and Sanitation Officer, Koenraad Vancraeynest is happy to be able to contribute to small-scale rural water and sanitation projects that have a big impact on daily life, especially for women and children.
In one of his field visits to a small and isolated rural community, a mother explained to him that, before the water system was built, she had to wake up before sunrise every morning to get water for her children. Today, she can get water in a second by just opening the tap on her patio.
Another community decided to construct pit latrines with their own means and materials after recognizing that open-air defecation was a major cause of health problems among children.
Koenraad thinks this example illustrates that enthusiasm and motivation are very important to promote development. In the same way that, at the government level, these elements and a degree of volunteerism are essential to generate public policies that guarantee childrenÂ’s rights.
"As a UN Volunteer with UNICEF, it is for me an everyday responsibility and a challenge to pass these values on," Koenraad says.