How often do you stop and think about the water you drink every day? Probably not too often. We simply don’t have to worry about the availability of clean water. Or access to sanitized latrines for that matter.
But to many people in developing countries, access to clean water and sanitation is severely lacking. Consider how this affects children in particular:
- Water-related disease is the leading cause of infant mortality
- Girls as young as 10 years old are often responsible for collecting water for their families, traveling 3 – 4 miles with heavy containers, giving them head, neck and spine injuries
- Many children miss school because of water-related illnesses
- Without private sanitation facilities in school, many girls drop out completely when they hit puberty
Read more (PDF)
Founded in 1981, WaterAid enables poor people in developing countries to gain access to clean, safe water and sanitation. According to their website, 700,000 children die from water-related diseases each year. Diarrheal diseases that result from poor sanitation kill 2,000 children a day.
So what has WaterAid done to help? Here are a few stats from their website:
- Since 1981, they have reached 17.5 million people with safe water.
- Since 2004, they have reached 12.9 million people with sanitation.
- Between 2011-2012, they reached 1.6 million people with safe water and 1.9 million people with sanitation.
How can you help?
- Just $25 can enable one person to access safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation (Donate here)
- Follow WaterAid onYouTube, Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word
I wrote this post as part of the Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of Mom Bloggers for Social Good members who focus on maternal health, children, hunger, and women and girls.
