How Rina and Her Family Solved Their Drinking Water Problem with a Simple, Homemade Filter

[Tasnim Hassan]

In the small village of Pechakola, nestled beside the Jamuna River in the Bera Upazila of Pabna District, Bangladesh, Rina Khatun and her family lived a simple life. However, there was one issue that cast a shadow over their daily routine: the water they depended on for drinking was unsafe. The river water and  tube-well water, which they used for all their drinking needs, was heavily contaminated with iron. During a SALT ((Support, Appreciate, Learn, and Transfer) conversation on 13^th November 2024, Rina shared that, over time, this caused stomachaches, headaches, and general discomfort for everyone in the household.

Rina, her son Rashedul, her elderly mother-in-law, and her brother-in-law had all experienced the negative effects of drinking this iron-laden water. Despite knowing something was wrong, they never knew how to fix it. “We’ve known for a while that the water isn’t right, but we didn’t know what to do about it,” Rina explained in the SALT conversation. The family had always assumed that solving the problem would require outside help or expensive equipment—something they simply couldn’t afford.

This feeling of helplessness persisted, but things began to change when Rina participated in a SALT (Support, Appreciate, Learn, and Transfer) follow-up conversation on 16^th November, 2024. In this discussion, the facilitator didn’t offer any direct solutions but instead asked questions that encouraged the family to think differently about their situation. One question in particular stood out: “What resources do you already have that could help?” This question ignited something in Rina’s mind.

During one of the conversations, Rashedul, her son, spoke up. He had seen natural water filters at some of his friends’ houses and thought they might be able to create something similar. “They’re not that hard to make,” he said excitedly. “I think we could try something like that.” This spark of an idea led Rina and her family to take matters into their own hands.

On November 20, 2024, Rina, her son Rashedul, and her mother-in-law began gathering materials around their home—sand, gravel, charcoal, broken bricks, and old clay pots—and set to work creating their own natural water filter. Rashedul, who had seen how these filters worked, played a key role in the design. The family worked together, excited to solve the problem using only what they had available to them.

The filter they built was simple yet effective. They created a layered filtration system: the top layer of coarse sand trapped large particles and sediments, the next layer of fine charcoal adsorbed the iron and other contaminants, and gravel and broken bricks at the bottom filtered out finer particles and provided structural support. It was a straightforward design, but it worked wonders.

Once the filter was completed, they tested it with water from both the river and the tube-well. To their amazement, the water seem free from iron and impurities. Their homemade filter had worked! The family now had safe, iron-free drinking water for the first time in years.

The results were immediate and noticeable. Rina’s family began to feel healthier, with fewer stomachaches and a renewed sense of well-being. But the biggest change was in their mindset. Before, they had felt powerless to change their situation, believing that only external help could solve their water problem. But now, they realized that they had the ability to solve their own problems using the resources around them.

Rina and her family’s success has inspired others in their community to adopt the same water filtration method. By sharing their simple solution, they’ve sent a strong message: problems can be solved using local resources and skills. This shift in mindset is helping others realize that they don’t need to wait for external help—they have the power to make change themselves.

Looking ahead, Rina’s family plans to refine their filter and encourage more families in Pechakola to build their own. A follow-up in two weeks will assess any further improvements in their health and the broader community, showing just how much small, local solutions can transform lives.