This year, the TerraKids team journeyed into Khong District in southern Laos — a region known as the “4,000 Islands” of the Mekong River.

In this remarkable part of Laos, villages and schools are scattered across islands large and small throughout the river. Many schools can only be reached by boat.

The TerraKids team loaded ceramic water filters, projectors, school supplies, puppets, crayons, and teaching materials onto long wooden boats and traveled from island to island bringing lessons, encouragement, and clean water to children living in remote communities.

Some days the team unloaded supplies from trucks onto boats, crossed the Mekong River, and then carried everything again into schools before beginning a full day of teaching and activities.

Over several weeks, TerraKids reached 1,326 students in 16 schools, along with dozens of teachers and village leaders. Children learned about clean drinking water, handwashing, personal safety, child rights, and human trafficking awareness — while also hearing an important message:
Your life matters.

The programs were interactive and joyful. Children laughed during puppet shows, danced to handwashing songs, colored empowerment booklets, and participated in skits teaching them how to stay safe and protect themselves.

The coloring books reminded children:
“I am important.”
“I am special.”
“I am smart.”

Along with the educational programming, TerraKids donated 45 ceramic water filters to schools throughout the district, helping provide safer drinking water for students and teachers.

The work was physically exhausting. The all-women TerraKids team carried heavy supplies between trucks and boats, worked in intense tropical heat, and adapted programs in schools with limited electricity or no fans.

But through every challenge, the team saw hope: children eager to learn, families sacrificing for education, teachers welcoming them warmly, and communities deeply appreciative of the support.

One powerful reality stood out. Some children must cross the Mekong River by boat every single day just to attend school. Despite the difficulty, many families continue making sacrifices so their children can keep learning.

The TerraKids mission is simple but powerful:
Empowering children to live with good health, strong hearts, and smart living.

In Person: 
(Directly in the grievance book located at the company office)
TerraClear Production
Km 10, Road 13 South, Pakse
Lomsakneua Village
Bachiang District
Champasak Province, Lao PDR

Via Contact Details:
Email: info@terraclear.org
Contact form: https://tcp.preview.laowater.com/contact/ 
Phone: +856 (0)20 5637 4888

Via the Gold Standard 
(once the project documents are published on their platform)
Website: www.goldstandard.org
Email: info@goldstandard.org

The Laos Social Indicator Survey (LSIS III) study published in 2023 found that 72.3% of members had E. coli in household drinking water, indicating risk of diarrhea and other waterborne diseases. To mitigate health risks, households traditionally boil water over biomass and charcoal fires—a practice that is labor intensive, environmentally taxing, and is a significant contributor to deforestation and indoor air pollution.

By registration under the Gold Standard for Global Goal (GS4GG), the project “TerraClear Safe Drinking Water in Laos ” seeks to address the problem of limited access to safe, clean drinking water through the sale of Ceramic Water Filters. Helping people and families to:

• access safe drinking water, especially in rural areas
• reduce time spent collecting firewood or boiling drinking water
• reduce costs for families
• reduce child and adult morbidity and mortality
• improve attendance at school
• increase productivity

The presentations from the in-person and online Stakeholder Consultation Meeting, held on May 13, 2026 are being made available for download to fulfill the request of attendees and provide interested parties as much information as possible.

Stakeholder Consultation Presentation English

Stakeholder Consultation Presentation Lao Translation

In Salee Noy Village in Nong District, Savannakhet Province, Chansai and his family have long struggled with access to safe drinking water.

Chansai, a 27-year-old father, lives with his 26-year-old wife and their two young daughters, ages 9 and 7. Like many families in their village, they rely on untreated water collected from local sources for their daily drinking needs. This water carries hidden dangers, causing stomach illness that impairs children and adults’ wellbeing.

Recently, the eldest daughter of their family became seriously ill with diarrhea, forcing her to stay home for several days to recover. For Chansai, this was a painful reminder of the risks his family faces every day simply by drinking water.

The family has long hoped to have a water filter, knowing it could protect their children’s health—but like many in their community, they simply could not afford one.

Through the TerraCare program, Chansai’s family qualified for a subsidized filter. When they received it, they were deeply grateful and full of hope. Now, they no longer have to worry each day about whether their water will make them sick.

For this family, the filter is more than a product—it is peace of mind, better health, and a safer future for their daughters.

Because of your generosity in 2025, thousands of people in Laos now have access to something many of us take for granted every day—clean, safe drinking water. Your support didn’t just fund projects; it changed daily life for families and children across rural communities.

What You Made Possible in 2025

Through the TerraCare Program, TerraClear Foundation provided 1,745 subsidized ceramic household water filters to impoverished rural families. These filters are now serving 8,725 people with clean drinking water in their homes. Along with each filter, families received health and hygiene education to help ensure long-term, life-saving impact.

Through TerraKids, we placed 313 water filters in schools, bringing safe drinking water to 6,788 children where they spend much of their day learning, playing, and growing. Clean water at school means fewer sick days, improved concentration, and healthier learning environments.

Together, these efforts brought clean water, dignity, and hope to thousands of families and children throughout Laos.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As we look toward 2026, TerraClear Foundation is excited to expand our impact even further.

In addition to continuing our TerraCare and TerraKids programs, we will begin supporting complementary water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives beyond TerraClear Production.

This includes new partnerships with:

• A French NGO providing village water systems, household toilets, and hygiene training in rural Lao communities.
• A Cambodian NGO working with Lao-speaking villages along the Laos border to deliver household filters, rainwater catchment systems, toilets, and hygiene education.

We will also continue supporting TerraClear Production as it begins installing water systems in schools served through the TerraKids program—ensuring that schools not only have filters, but reliable, long-term access to clean water for students and staff.

A Grateful Start to the Year

Clean water changes everything—health improves, time is saved, children stay in school, and families can invest in a better future. None of this happens without you.

As we begin this new year, please know how deeply grateful we are for your partnership. Your generosity is transforming lives, one family and one child at a time.

With sincere thanks and hope for the year ahead,
Dawn Marie Lewis
Executive Director, TerraClear Foundation

Illness was once a constant part of life for this family of six. The children were sick frequently, forcing repeated hospital visits that cost the family all of their disposable income over time, leaving them with little resources for the family. Their oldest child, now 13, is noticeably smaller than other children his age, likely due to years of poor health. Another child, age 10, previously suffered from bleeding gums, a problem that has since disappeared.

Before receiving a ceramic water filter, the family drank untreated river water and well water, especially during the rainy season. This often led to severe diarrhea that lasted for weeks. During those times, the parents could not work, and no one was able to tend the fields, putting additional strain on the family’s livelihood.

Today, the family is deeply grateful to have access to clean drinking water. Their health has improved, medical visits have decreased, and they are able to work consistently again. Mr. Meei and Mrs. Ale would like to sincerely thank the TerraCare team for helping bring clean, safe water into their home—something that has made a lasting difference in their family’s health and future.

When she received a ceramic water filter through the TerraClear subsidy program, her relief and gratitude were immediate. Now, she and her mother can drink clean, safe water each day without fear of sickness.

Mrs. Bounma shared her joy with our staff:

“Thank you so much for this filter, and may your company be blessed. I promise to use it for my family for as long as possible. I clearly understand how to use it because the staff explained everything to me very well.”

Her words remind us that a simple filter is far more than clay and ceramic—it is security for an aging mother, health for a daughter, and hope for an entire household. Each filter placed in a home brings real change, family by family, across Laos.

In a remote region of southern Laos, the TerraKids team recently faced a new challenge while visiting schools to distribute water filters and teach students about hygiene, handwashing, and child protection. When they arrived, they discovered that most of the children didn’t understand the Lao language—they only spoke two local minority languages.

Thankfully, Mr. Suan, our local sales representative, lives in the area and speaks both of those languages fluently. He and his family live near the schools, and his connection to the community made him the perfect person to help. When the TerraKids team invited him to translate during the presentations, the results were immediate: the children listened more closely, participated more actively, and understood the lessons.

After successfully translating at two schools, the TerraKids team asked Mr. Suan to go one step further—to lead the sessions on child rights and risk prevention himself, using the picture-based materials provided. Though initially nervous, Mr. Suan accepted the challenge with courage. With the team’s encouragement, he gained confidence and did an excellent job. He even taught in both minority languages, one of which was not his mother tongue.

The impact was clear. The children engaged more deeply, answered questions, and participated in the interactive songs and dances like “Hand Washing” and “Love Learning.” Mr. Suan especially enjoyed dancing with the team and seeing the joy on the students’ faces as they connected with the lessons in their own language.

When we asked him how he felt about the experience, Mr. Suan shared that he was excited to try something new and thankful to TerraClear for the opportunity. He was proud to have made a difference and energized by the experience.

For the TerraKids team, this was a powerful reminder that language matters—and that local leaders like Mr. Suan are key to reaching children who might otherwise be left out. We’re so grateful for his willingness to serve and his growing role in bringing health, safety, and education to his community.

We look forward to seeing Mr. Suan continue to share his voice and passion with children across his region—in the languages they understand best.

He had already delivered filters to many families in the villages in Kaleum who otherwise had little access to clean water. Many previously drank directly from streams or collected rainwater in old containers — water that looked clear but could carry bacteria and disease. Kaleum is one of the poorest areas of southern Laos. For the families who had received filters, Vilayphone’s work now was to return each month and give lessons in health and sanitation that would help the families have healthy practices, actions that, combined with the clean drinking water from the filters, will change their lives.

With courage and fortitude, Vilayphone headed out early in the morning. The sky was clearing, and he hoped that meant the roads were somewhat drier and passable. “I know I can do it,” he thought, “The families are waiting.”

The journey was slow and dangerous. The whole road was gooey with mud, and deep ruts filled with water made the bike lurch and slip. In some places, he had to get off and walk the bike, pushing through the muck. The bike even slipped off the road on one steep area, sliding into the road ditch. It took some work, but Vilayphone got it on the road again. But inch by inch, he kept moving forward.

After hours of struggle, he finally reached the village — soaked, muddy, and exhausted. But as soon as the families saw him arrive, the word got around, “the water filter man is here!”

Vilayphone wasted no time. He began visiting the families, using pictures to teach about clean water, handwashing, and the dangers of open defecation. As he proceeded, rain tapped steadily on the roof, and children huddled close to their mothers as Vilayphone explained how the filters worked: how the clay removed bacteria, how the water could be safe to drink — even for little ones. He taught good handwashing technique. He explained how soap ensures clean hands and healthy bodies.  For Vilayphone, these moments made the entire difficult journey worth it.

“You see,” he told the families, “these practices will help keep you and your children from getting sick.”

By the time the training was done, the sun had briefly broken through the clouds. The village chief came forward and thanked him.

“You came even when the road was bad. Even with the rain,” he said. “You didn’t forget us.”

Vilayphone nodded. “Clean water and good health practices shouldn’t wait for good weather,” he said. “Your families deserve it — rain or shine.”

And with that, he prepared to head back, his heart full even though the road ahead was still long and muddy. Because sometimes, the hardest roads lead to the most important work.

Mr. Che’s mother had long hoped for a filter. “I used to see the sales trucks go by,” she shared. “I wanted to buy one so badly, but we just didn’t have the money. Any money we had went to buy rice, fish, and food—there was nothing left for a water filter.”

When village leaders announced that a company would be coming to provide water filters to vulnerable families, she was overjoyed. “We were one of the families chosen to receive one—it was something I had wished for, for so long. I was so happy.”

Since receiving their filter, Mr. Che’s family has not only been diligent about following the proper hygiene steps and maintenance instructions but has also become a source of clean water and knowledge for their neighbors. His mother proudly shared how they have been educating others about basic sanitation and offering safe drinking water to those nearby who still lack access.

During a recent follow-up visit, the TerraClear team was encouraged to see how committed the family was—not just to their own health, but to helping others. Mr. Che even invited interested neighbors to reach out to him directly if they wanted to learn more or needed help accessing a filter. “I’ll guarantee it myself,” he said with a smile.

This story is one of many that shows how a simple water filter can spark change, promote health, and inspire generosity within a community.