Clean water for a clear future

Laying the foundation for education, health and income

Henry is 8 years old. His big role model is Messi. He has never seen him play, but the other children in the community always talk about him. Whenever Henry goes to fetch water with his mother, he kicks anything that could be a ball. He kicks stones and tufts - he imagines what it would be like to be able to play football properly one day. On the way back, he drags two heavy five-litre canisters - kicking is no longer as easy as on the way there. I wonder what they can do with the water today? Maybe he can wash himself or cook something for his mother with it? He doesn't have much time left today, because fetching water took more than four hours. Henry wishes there was a safe water source nearby, then he wouldn't have to walk so far to fetch water and could go to school instead. Then he would play football with the others at break time. And one day he would be as good as Messi.

Background

Water is the foundation for health and development. Access to safe water and education on hygiene reduces the risk of disease and creates the opportunity for education and healthy and sufficient nutrition. Children and their families gain time as they no longer have to carry water for hours. In addition, there is no longer a need for expensive medication against hygiene-related diseases. Thus, the families can use their resources more specifically for their economic advancement. Uganda has a very young population: the average age is just 15 years (CIA, 2023). As it is mostly the task of children and women to fetch water for the family, many children cannot use this valuable time for school work. In addition, a multitude of dangers lurk on the long paths to the mostly contaminated water holes. In addition, girls often have to stay at home during the days of their period because there are no suitable washing and sanitary facilities at school. In only one in three schools in the country is there an opportunity to wash hands or use sanitary facilities (UNICEF, 2020). Without access to safe drinking water, clean water for food preparation and washing, the risk of infectious diseases such as typhoid and various diarrhoeal diseases also increases. Every day, 1,000 children die worldwide as a result of contaminated water and unhygienic living conditions (UNICEF, 2023).

The good deed

With your good deed today, you will give children in western Uganda access to clean and safe water. With your donation, a water supply with tanks, wells and sanitary facilities will be built for schools in rural communities in the Kibaale District. At the same time, students will be educated on hygiene and safe water use. The communities around the schools are also allowed to use the safe access to water. Water experts are trained among the community members to take care of the facilities in the long term. In this way, the good deed can ensure a sustainable water supply and reduce the risk of water- and hygiene-related diseases in the entire catchment area of the schools. The school's water supply enables the children to concentrate on their education. In addition to improving the health situation, the surrounding communities are also enabled to grow economically. Water means health, income and education. Water is life.