A Portrait of Success: Mickey Sampson

Apr 7th, 2009 10:31 AM UTC
By Margaret McDonnell

Check out this post from John Sauer at Water Advocates honoring the memory of water champion, Mickey Sampson.

—Margaret McDonnell, ONE

This past month, just before World Water Day, the water and sanitation community tragically lost Mickey Sampson, age 43, of RDI Cambodia. Mickey’s life is a portrait of success that should be recognized internationally. Through his leadership, RDI Cambodia became one of Southeast Asia’s most innovative water and sanitation organizations. It provides an array of interventions that have impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Cambodians.

Mickey’s philosophy was not to hand out help to Cambodians but rather to use education, incentives and social marketing to foster genuine demand for water and sanitation products. RDI Cambodia’s successes include a world-renowned ceramic water filter factory which in 2009 will provide an additional 30,000 families with safe drinking water. Mickey and his team also produced the nation’s most popular children’s television program which entertainingly teaches about water and health, including arsenic poisoning. RDI Cambodia also reaches adults with these messages through popular karaoke videos, as was highlighted by NPR and National Geographic News. Ecosan toilets, rainwater harvesting and rope pumps were other successful ways he met the country’s water needs.

Another impressive achievement was the establishment of a laboratory which tests water quality. It is the most active laboratory in Cambodia for arsenic testing. Over 10,500 wells have been tested. Mickey was constantly upgrading the laboratory and working tirelessly to get new equipment donated so that Cambodians would have safer water to drink.

Both the ceramic water filters and rope pump projects have been studied by third parties and the results show high levels of sustainability, an indication that RDI Cambodia’s approach is replicable.

Mickey, a native of Louisville, KY, was a good friend of Water Advocates and we were grateful to have known him. Thankfully, the work that Mickey started continues through the organization he founded, RDI Cambodia. He is an inspiration to many in the water and sanitation field.

Our hearts go out to Mickey’s wife, family and co-workers during this difficult time.

Learn more about RDI Cambodia’s work here:

Ceramic Water Filter Factory

Laboratory

-John Sauer, Water Advocates

TAGS: From Our Partners, Water Advocates, Water and Sanitation