South Pambula woman Jenny Stewart, the driving force behind the not-for-profit aid program Pebbles for Nepal, has just returned from the country where she has been involved with the installation of water tanks in the impoverished villages.

The water tanks have freed the women and children from the "slavery" of walking for water - all day, every day.

They have given the women time; time to plant and harvest crops, cook meals, and wash their bodies and their clothes, everyday tasks which has seen a dramatic improvement in their standard of living and health.

Children have time to be children.

Ms Stewart modestly, she describes herself as "the carrier of your gifts", in recognition of the tremendous support the project has received from individuals, business and organisation such as the CWA across the Far South Coast.

She travelled to Nepal in August last year and returned late last month, accompanied for part of the time by Alison Potts of Pambula, Phoebe Gregoire of Millingandi and Alan Prowse of Wyndham.

"Something as simple as giving water has literally brought a lucky few people from Chepang Hill in Nepal out of the dark ages," Ms Stewart told the Eden Magnet this week.

"It's really great to go back into the mountains and see the remarkable change that the water tanks provided by Pebbles for Nepal has brought into the lives of people." 

Ms Stewart said the Chepang Hill village people were poor and uneducated.

"We we say they have nothing we mean they have nothing," Ms Stewart said."

"They live on dirt, they sleep on dirt, and with no water their bodies of course are caked with dirt."

"Their hair is crawling with lice but what are they supposed to do when they have no water and know no better? she asked.

But for those villages where water tanks have been installed the transformation has been nothing short of remarkable.

There has been a marked improvement in the health of the villagers, the incidence of eye, ear and skin infections has decreased and dehydration is less of a problem.

Their clothes are still old - what many Australians would regard as rags - but now they are clean rags.

"They can't believe that someone cares enough to give them the gift of water, especially someone from the other side of the world," Ms Stewart said.

While in Nepal, Ms Stewart also organised a second hand clothes drive, with businesses in the capital Kathmandu donating the garments to the people of Chepang Hill.

"When the clothes were delivered the scene was reminiscent of the scramble at the Boxing Day sales back here in Australia,"Ms Stewart said.

"They were so overjoyed they thought that a God had delivered them," she said. 

Ms Stewart has extended her heartfelt thanks to the Eden district community for their donations, which included $14,000 in cash, which not only paid for the water tanks and poly pipe but also blankets and food, as well as simple everyday items such as needles and cotton, coloured pencils and tooth brushes .

The Eden CWA knitted countless beanies while Daryl Dobson of Merimbula donated 23 snow coats.

"The girls [Alison and Phoebe] also made hula hoops out of lengths of poly pipe for the children, the only toys these children are ever likely to own," Ms Stewart said.

The cost of each tank is a mere $120 each, their size is limited by the ability of the villagers to carry them, strapped to their backs, from delivery points along the narrow mountainous tracks into the villages.

In total, 189 water tanks, 15,000 metres of poly pipe and 15 toilets have been donated and installed.

"That adds up to many, many healthy, happy and clean souls," Ms Stewart said.

Ms Stewart plans to return to Nepal later this year, with the time-frame depending on how quickly more donations are forthcoming.