March 23 (Day 23) The Gift of Water is the Gift of Life

March 22-26 is World Water Week...

Though we use it constantly, we think very little about water and its place in our lives. Here are some water facts to ponder:

• More than half of Africa's people lack access to safe drinking water (UN)
• Of all the renewable water available in Africa each year, only 4% is used -- because most Africans lack the wells, canals, pumps, reservoirs and other irrigation systems. (Africare)
• In developing countries, one person uses an average of ten liters of water per day. In the United States, one person uses an average of 75-80 gallons in the same time period (www.epa.gov)
• Each flush of the toilet uses the same amount of water that one person in the Third World uses all day for washing, cleaning, cooking and drinking. (http://www.whrnet.org/).  
• In the past ten years, diarrhea has killed more children worldwide than all the people lost to armed conflict since World War II. (Water Aid)
• Twelve million people die each year from lack of safe drinking water, including more than 3 million who die from waterborne diseases. (WHO)
• Over 80% of the disease in developing countries is related to poor drinking water and sanitation. (WHO)
• 1.5 billion people in the world are suffering from parasite infections, which can cause malnutrition, anemia and delayed growth, due to the presence of solid human waste in the environment. Many of these infections could be controlled with improved hygiene, clean water and sanitation. (http://www.whrnet.org/)
• The average distance a woman in Africa and Asia walks to collect water is 6 km (3.75 miles)(www.whrnet.org)
• The weight of water that women in Asia and Africa carry on their heads is equivalent to the maximum baggage weight allowed by airlines 20 kg, or 44lbs (www.whrnet.org)
• Women are the primary caretakers for those who fall ill from water-related diseases, reducing their time available for education and productive economic efforts. (www.unfpa.org)
• One-third of women in Egypt walk more than an hour a day for water; in other parts of Africa, the task can consume as much as eight hours. (www.unfpa.org)
• Medical research has documented cases of permanent damage to women's health as a result of carrying water, such as chronic fatigue, spinal and pelvic deformities, and effects on reproductive health including spontaneous abortion. (www.unhabitat.org)
• In some parts of Africa, women expend as much as 85% of their daily energy intake on getting water, increasing incidences of anemia and other health problems. (http://www.unhabitat.org/)

 

Drop in the Bucket is a non-profit organization that was formed in 2006 by a group of ordinary, everyday people. After learning about the deadly water crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, we set out to learn as much as possible about the situation and join in to help find solutions. In the three years since we formed, we have aligned ourselves with the best and brightest engineers, innovators and experts on African culture and economics, in an effort to better understand the unique challenges associated with the developing world’s water crisis.

Currently, we have constructed close to 60 wells and a number of sanitation systems at locations in Tanzania, Mozambique, South Sudan, Chad and Uganda. We hand pick our local African contractors and work directly with them on the projects. DITB is involved in everything from targeting locations and mobilizing communities, to approving budgets, monitoring schedules, and tracking success rates. We are also dedicated to contracting labor and purchasing materials from within the communities we are working. We feel that, along with our efforts to dispense humanitarian aid, it is also our responsibility help stimulate the local economy, whenever possible.  In most cases the water is literally under the feet of the villagers who so desperately need it. They just have no means of accessing it. DITB provides everything from hand-dug shallow wells, drilled borehole wells and rain water harvesting tanks, to an advanced sanitation system that includes the most environmentally sustainable, permanent septic system available in rural sub-Saharan Africa.

Currently no one in the organization takes an annual salary and we operate as an all-volunteer group. A cornerstone of our approach is low overhead and minimal operating costs. We are dedicated to guaranteeing our donors that as much of their hard-earned money goes into the program as possible. Much of the funding for DITB projects comes from regular people (schools, families, individuals). If someone sponsors a water-well or funds a complete water and sanitation system, DITB will place a tile with the inscription of their choice on the project. This gives donors tangible proof of their humanitarian impact.

Visit their website to read their stories and see how you can help out this very worthwhile charity! 

Source: Drop in the Bucket.org