Bringing Clean Water to Communities in Need
The right to water is really the right to life and livelihood. Just as we cannot live without water, a country cannot survive if it is water-stressed. This resource determines our future, and acts as a driving force for economic growth.
Even today, India admits to not being able to provide safe drinking water to more than half the country’s population. Poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water account for a substantial part of the disease burden in India, contributing to diarrhea, cholera, typhoid and jaundice.
Water is scarce in India and much of what water there is, is badly polluted. Surface wells are polluted as seasonal rains wash trash and disease into surface “bore wells”. Animals often wade into the water source polluting it with feces and standing pools of water breed mosquitos. Many children die each year from water-borne illnesses. We teach the Indian nationals to build water filter systems called BioSand Filters from common materials found in every country (i.e. sand, gravel & cement). The design relies on technology that doesn’t require electricity or complicated moving parts that are prone to break. These simple, durable filters have saved many lives in the villages within which we work.
The Cost is High. Not Only in Disease, but also in School
When families do not have a safe and reliable water source, preferably direct to their home, then it is often women and children that are responsible for collecting water. School attendance in India decreases when children are required to spend hours collecting water. A 22 per cent increase in school drop-out rates has been reported in drought-affected states.
Almost 200 million students are enrolled in elementary government schools in India. It is important to ensure that these students are provided with safe and potable water to avoid the risk of bacterial infections that lead to conditions like diarrhea. Studies have shown that early childhood diarrhea is linked to absenteeism in schools, malnutrition, and even stunted growth and development.