A new program, Water for Life, broadcast weekly on Family FM, is offering education to Cambodian families about water and sanitation. Partner in the new initiative is Kone Kmeng, a Christian group which focuses on children at risk.

Eighty percent of deaths in Cambodia are due to waterborne diseases. Diarrhea is still one of the leading killers in Cambodian villages, and children are especially vulnerable. To address these and related issues, Family FM has launched an educational phone-in program called Water for Life.

Broadcast every Wednesday morning, the program is sponsored by the Christian group Kone Kmeng which focuses on children at risk. Savuth Lo, a staff member of Kone Kmeng, co-presents the program with Family FM’s Ruon Keo. Savuth believes that radio has strong potential for changing people’s behavior. “Most people do not know a lot about how to take care of their health,” he says. “They ask, ‘Why do my children always have diarrhea?’ If they listen, they will know.”

The program features topics ranging from domestic hygiene to wider concerns of pollution. In a recent program listeners were encouraged to draw maps of their neighbourhoods and see if there was any danger from latrines or factories. If so, they were advised to take their concerns to the factory or individual responsible. Savuth says: “They should encourage him to focus on health. People are a valuable resource for our country. They are more important than money.”