Earlier this month, ASRI's Education Coordinator, Etty Rahmawati, spoke with two women who live near the ASRI clinic about their uses of, and feelings about, water. Give now to support a system of wells and water for women like Nur Hayati and her family. Read on for profiles of these strong and capable women - and look for more stories of remarkable women in September's issue of the newsletter.

Nur Hayati, a farmer of chili peppers. Photo by Etty Rahmawati, 08-2012.

Nur Hayati, a neighbor of ASRI's.
Nur Hayati, 52, and her husband have a full home with four children, four grandchildren, gardens, and fish ponds.  Last year, with the help of ASRI's organic farming program, Hayati added a chili pepper farm which now yields over 36 kilograms of peppers each month.  Water is crucial to her thriving farm's success. Her water comes from one of the buffer zones around Gunung Palung National Park. In the past, she has experienced water scarcity, killing many of the plants in her garden.  She is hopeful the mountain will continue to provide plentiful water, so that her work and that of her family will not be in vain.

Rice fields and the mountain. Photo by Eric Danzer.

Setiawati, an ASRI-trained farmer.
Setiawati, 40, a rice farmer and mother of three, is clear about the importance of water in her daily life.  She relies on water from the mountain that lies behind her home to water her garden and rice fields, clean her clothes and provide fresh drinking water.  When water is scarce, her plants struggle.  She asks us to save water, respect water and never waste water.  Water is precious, let us never forget.