Poverty and Lack of Water
There are a number of reasons why poverty has become an epidemic in Africa. Poverty can be the result of political instability, ethnic conflicts, climate change and other man-made causes.
But one of the greatest causes of poverty in Africa is also the most overlooked...the lack of access to clean drinking water.
Nearly one billion people do not have access to clean, safe water - that's the equivalent of 1 in 8 people on the planet!
For these people, poverty is a fact of life. The good news... This is a solvable problem.
At The Water Project, people - not hardware - are at the center of everything we do. Our solutions meet tangible needs, create jobs, and respect those we serve.
And we can't do any of it without you.
Access to clean water
The lack of water is an often insurmountable obstacle to helping oneself. You can't grow food, you can't build housing, you can't stay healthy, you can't stay in school and you can't keep working.
Without clean water, the possibility of breaking out of the cycle of poverty is incredibly slim.
For women and children especially, this crisis is real. It effects every minute of the day.
With unclean water sources often miles from villages, many of the able-bodied members of a community are forced to spend hours each day simply finding and transporting water. The typical container used for water collection in Africa, the jerry can, weighs over 40 pounds when it's completely full.
Imagine how demanding it would be to carry the equivalent of a 5-year-old child for three hours out of each day. And some women carry even more, up to 70 pounds in a barrel carried on the back. That's like carrying a baby hippo.
The World Health Organization has shown that fixing the crisis is incredibly valuable: for every $1 invested in water and sanitation, there is an economic return of between $3 and $34!
Finding water costs time
The United Nations estimates that Sub-Saharan Africa alone loses 40 billion hours per year collecting water; that's the same as a whole year's worth of labor by France's entire workforce! This is incredibly valuable time.
With much of one's day already consumed by meeting basic needs, there isn't time for much else. The hours lost to gathering water are often the difference between time to do a trade and earn a living and not. Just think of all the things you would miss if you had to take three hours out each day to get water.
When a water solution is put into place, sustainable agriculture is possible. Children get back to school instead of collecting dirty water all day, or being sick from waterborne illnesses. Parents find more time to care for their families, expand minimal farming to sustainable levels, and even run small businesses.
The social and economic effects caused by a lack of clean water are often the highest priorities of African communities when they speak of their own development. The World Health Organization has shown this in economic terms: for every $1 invested in water and sanitation, there is an economic return of between $3 and $34!
Education
With water right on school property, students won’t miss class to quench their thirst, clean their classrooms, or supply school kitchens with water. With water at home, kids don’t waste homework time walking long distances in search of water for their households.
Health
Water projects close to home rescue people from drinking whatever dirty water they can find. More water also means less rationing, so it’s easier to stay hydrated, wash hands, and clean homes, preventing future illnesses.
Hunger
In our service areas, almost everyone has a farm or garden. To them, a lack of water means a lack of food. Improved crop irrigation equates to healthier and more plentiful crops.
Poverty
Sourcing water when it’s scarce day after day saps everyone’s time and energy. With water at their fingertips, people spend more time investing in their households and livelihoods.
Our goal is to bring clean, sustainable water supplies to within a 1km (1/2 mile) of a village. Your support makes that possible!
How we're helping
For an average of $34 per person, The Water Project is able to work with local partners to provide closer access to clean water. Our goal is to bring clean, sustainable water supplies to within a 1km (1/2 mile) of a village. By doing so, communities can be freed to begin working themselves out of poverty.
When you give to help build a well, you'll make sustainable agriculture possible. You will allow children to get back to school instead of collecting dirty water all day.
You'll help fathers find more time to care for their family, maintain a farm, and even run a small business.
You can help break the cycle of poverty in Africa.
How will you help?