How Water Changes Everything

health and sanitation

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 of children under five years old. many of these diseases are preventable. the UN predicts that one tenth of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation.

women and children 



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.

economies / communities

water is an astonishingly complex and subtle force in an economy. it is the single constraint on the expansion of every city, and bankers and corporate executives have cited it as the only natural limit to economic growth.

Your Village Gets Well: Scenario

The walk for water that used to take everyone here three hours, now takes 15 minutes. And the water is safe to drink.

A hygiene worker teaches your village the importance of sanitation. Your community builds latrines and sets up handwashing stations.

You join the Water Committee to oversee your village's new water source. As a woman, this is your first local leadership position.

You use the extra time and new water source to start a vegetable garden and feed your family. You sell your extra food at the market.

Your kids spend more time in school instead of walking for water. They graduate to become teachers, hygiene workers or business owners.

A nearby village learns how water transformed your community. They petition for a well in their village, and the cycle starts again.