4,500 Children will Die Today from Water Related Diseases. Help. CharityWater.org
go to original March 17, 2013

Water Changes Everything - Almost a billion people live without clean drinking water. We call this the water crisis. It's a crisis because it only starts with water - but water affects everything in life. We can end the water crisis in our lifetime. But first we have to let everyone know it's happening. Learn how water changes everything - and share this with everyone you know. We're a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries. 100% of all public donations directly fund water projects, and we prove every dollar using photos and GPS coordinates on a map. (charity: water)

Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren't strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses.

90% of the 30,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are in children under five years old. Many of these diseases are preventable. The WHO reports that over 3.6% of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply, sanitation, and hygiene.

In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year just walking for water. Women and children usually bear the burden of water collection, walking miles to the nearest source, which is unprotected and likely to make them sick.

Time spent walking and resulting diseases keep them from school, work and taking care of their families. Along their long walk, they're subjected to a greater risk of harassment and sexual assault. Hauling cans of water for long distances takes a toll on the spine and many women experience back pain early in life. With safe water nearby, women are free to pursue new opportunities and improve their families’ lives. Kids can earn their education and build the future of their communities.

A clean water project nearby means more than safe drinking water to women and children in developing nations; it means time, freedom and incentive to change their communities.

Water as a Catalyst: Disease Prevention

charity: water focuses on life’s most basic need - water. But to significantly cut down disease rates in the developing world, water is just the first step. Almost everywhere charity: water builds a freshwater well, we also require sanitation training. In some communities, we build latrines; at the very least, we promote simple hand-washing stations made with readily-available materials. Clean water can greatly alleviate the world’s disease burden, but only with education and hygienic practice. charity: water is committed to using water as a gateway to sanitary living.



Even in regions prone to natural disasters, water infrastructure has proven to be a smart investment, sometimes reducing flood damage or disease rates among survivors. Clean water transforms lives, communities and generations - and at a surprisingly low cost. $20 can provide clean water for one person.

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