WaterAid
- What does WaterAid do?
- WaterAid enables the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. These basic human rights underpin health, education and livelihoods and form the first, essential step in overcoming poverty.
- They work with local partners, who understand local issues, and provide them with the skills and support to help communities set up and manage practical and sustainable projects that meet their real needs.
- They also campaign locally and internationally to change policy and practice and ensure water and sanitation's vital role in reducing poverty is recognised.
- How does WaterAid carry out its work?
- WaterAid and its partners work with individuals and families in their communities and use a mixture of low-cost technologies to deliver lasting water, sanitation and hygiene solutions.
- They work in partnership with local organisations that carry out the daily management of projects.
- Why is WaterAid needed?
- Clean water is essential for life, but one in eight of the world's population does not have access to it. This, and lack of safe sanitation, result in over two million people dying from water-related diseases every year. The lack of clean water close to people's homes also affects people's time, livelihoods and quality of life.
- Sanitation can be defined as access to safe, clean and effective human urine and faeces disposal facilities. Worldwide, 2.5 billion people live without this essential service and the resulting diarrhoeal diseases kill almost 5,000 children a day.
- To gain the full benefits of safe water and sanitation communities also need to know about the links between diseases and unsafe hygiene practices. Hygiene education focuses on issues such as personal hygiene - the simple act of washing hands with soap and water can reduce diarrhoeal diseases by a third.
- Why should I support WaterAid?
- WaterAid always use technologies that are low cost, appropriate to the local financial and geographical conditions and within the technical capacity of the benefiting community to operate and maintain.
- So that communities are responsible and feel a sense of ownership for their projects they must be involved in all stages of the work.
- They aim to use technologies which include locally sourced materials and spare parts which can be easily purchased and transported.
- In addition to this, their partners provide training to local communities so that they can carry out operation and maintenance work themselves.
- This ensures that communities can sustain their projects after WaterAid ends its support, with the possibility of extending or replicating their projects in the future.
Some statistics
- 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world's population.
- 2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation, this is almost two fifths of the world's population.
- 1.8 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. This amounts to around 5,000 deaths a day.
- WaterAid projects providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education cost just £15 per head. (WaterAid)
- For every $1 invested in sanitation, $9 is returned in increased productivity and a reduced burden of healthcare. (UNDP - United Nations Development Program.)
- Hand-washing with soap at critical times can reduce the incidence of diarrhoea by up to 47%. (UN Water)
- The integrated approach of providing water, sanitation and hygiene reduces the number of deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases by an average of 65%. (World Health Organisation).
- How do I donate to WaterAid?
- An appeal leaflet is included with your water bill. You can complete this and send it back to make a donation. Or, visit the WaterAid website (on the right) for details of ways to donate
- How do we support WaterAid?
- We proactively support WaterAid by organising events throughout the year to raise funds. With the help and support of company staff, Group Companies, suppliers, contractors and customers, we raised in excess of £31,000 last year. Events range from the formal Gala Dinner and Casino night, supported by Group Companies, suppliers and contractors to various raffle events, Christmas fundraisers, roadshows at local fayres, lotteries and customers donating the residuals from their water accounts when they move property.
WaterAid reg charity numbers 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland)
Photo:WaterAid/Marco Betti
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