As I write this feature, the British summer has finally arrived. With temperatures having reached the 30s this week, the heat has been quite intense. Whether you love or loath the high temperatures, I expect you’ve needed plenty of water or other cold drinks to keep you cool. In the developed world, most of us take water on tap for granted. We think nothing of running the kitchen tap to draw a refreshing, cool drink or pouring ice cold water from our fridges or consuming it from a chilled bottle.
We have showers, baths and toilets. Others aren’t so lucky. In countries such as Uganda, there are open sewers running alongside homes where children play. Diarrhoeal diseases kill almost 5,000 children a day worldwide.
Photograph by Caroline Irby, reproduce by kind permission of Water Aid
Although safe water and sanitation are recognised as human rights, according to the international charity Water Aid, over one billion people do not have access to water and over two and a half billion people are without sanitation. A child dies every 15 seconds from water-related diseases as a result. To go without water or to drink dirty, worm and germ ridden infected water are choices no one should have to make.
The charity WaterAid campaigns to help the world's poorest people improve sanitation and water supplies. There is also an active hygiene educational campaign encouraging measures such as the washing of hands.
Water Aid works in 17 countries in Africa and Asia, helping over eight million and a half people gain access to safe water and sanitation. Water Aid both runs projects and works to influence policy decisions.
Photograph by Marco Betti
by kind permission of Water Aid
How can I help?
Here are ideas you may wish to consider:
If you have children tell them about Water Aid. There are helpful resources on the website. Encourage them to collect 1ps, 2ps, 5ps. 10ps - whatever you wish & try to fill a jug or bucket and donate the contents.
Make a donation yourself.
Consider a garage sale – you get to de-clutter too.
Make a regular monthly donation; this is how powerful your money could be:
£2 a month for one year– could provide safe water for a person for life
£5 a month for one year – could provide one pit latrine for two households in Mali.
£15 a month for one year – could rehabilitate a borehole with a pump to provide water for up to 250 people in Zambia.
(Figures from Water Aid website July 2008. Figures are approximate.)
Shop with Water Aid SH2OP for life
Buy or sell on ebay for Water Aid http://pages.ebay.co.uk/ebayforcharity/index.html
If you are getting married or celebrating a special occasion, you could include donations to Water Aid as an option for your gifts.
Take part in a sponsored event or sponsor someone. Take a look at Water Aid’s website and at http://www.justgiving.com/
For further information including educational resources see:
http://www.wateraid.org/uk/ (UK)
http://www.wateraid.org/ (international)
