Having clean water in the house is something most of us probably take for granted. We need only to turn on the water faucet and clean water will come out, which is safe for washing our hands or taking a shower. Sometimes it’s even clean enough to drink. If not, then all we need to do is buy bottled water at the nearest supermarket or convenience store. It’s something we don’t think twice about. It’s just there. Sadly, that’s not the case in certain parts of the world.
Did you know that there are 800 Million people worldwide who do not have access to clean, safe water and that 2.5 Billion have nowhere safe and clean to go to the toilet? This causes numerous health problems which makes children unable to attend school. Some even die. In fact, 2,000 children die every day from easily prevented diarrheal diseases. Aside from this, millions of women are unable to work because they’re busy collecting water and caring for their sick children.
Here are some facts about the issues regarding water and children:
- In many countries, girls as young as ten may take the main responsibility for drawing and carrying the family’s water. This can damage their heads, necks and spines because they carry heavy water containers over long distances, usually three or four miles.
- Thousands of children die every day from diseases associated with unsafe water and sanitation. Most of them are under the age of five. Some of these diseases include parasitic infections, which slows down children’s learning potential; trachoma, which can lead to blindness; and the skin disease scabies.
- Because of these diseases, many children are often absent from school. Also, a lot of girls drop out completely when they reach puberty because there are no private sanitation facilities in school.
It’s a good thing WaterAid was born. WaterAid was founded in 1981. They work to ensure that they respond to children’s needs. They work with schools in order to teach and promote good hygiene practices such as handwashing. They also provide children with clean and accessible water and toilet facilities to keep them healthy and stay in school. Having clean water sources enable families to grow and cook food so that children can be given healthier meals.
Currently, WaterAid has programs in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific region and Central America, and offices in the US, the UK, Australia and Sweden.
To find out more about WaterAid, visit wateraidamerica.org. You can also follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WaterAidAmerica and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/WaterAidAmerica.
