Over 8.4 million people in Uganda live without access to safe, clean drinking water.
For mothers, this means the risk of parasites and dangerous waterborne illnesses threatening the lives of their children. For young girls, it means walking kilometres every day with heavy cans down dangerous roads instead of going to school. Water is everything: education, good health, gender equality, food security. Water is life.
Water poverty damages everything
Health
Every 90 seconds a child dies due to a water-related disease.
Half of the developing world’s hospital beds are filled by people suffering from water-related diseases. Over 3.6% of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply, sanitation, and hygiene.
Education
1 in 4 girls do not complete primary school often due to a lack of water access and sanitation facilities.
443 million school days are missed each year due to water-related diseases. Access to improved water sources means healthier, more focused kids and greater success in school. With a water source close to their home, children – especially young girls — are free to attend school and build a brighter future.
Equality
Women are 2x as likely to fetch water as men which robs them of the chance to earn an income and increases the likelihood of sexual assault.
Research in sub-Saharan Africa suggests that women and girls in low-income countries spend 40 billion hours a year collecting water—the equivalent of a year’s worth of labour by the entire French workforce.
Economy
Water poverty drags down an economy. But every $1 invested in clean water can yield up to $12 in economic returns in that community.
For every 10% increase in women’s literacy, a country’s whole economy can grow by up to 0.3%.
How we can help solve this, together
Access to clean water is one of the single most effective methods to fuel local economic growth, which is the best indicator of a community’s overall health and long-term stability. We work with local experts and community members to find sustainable solutions that provide the life-changing gift of clean water to Ugandans in need.
Clean water has transformed the lives of
Annescar, Justine, Kendres and Christine.
Education
Annescar had dreams of becoming an engineer but a lack of access to clean water meant she was often late for school or missed it altogether because of waterborne illness. Now that clean water has come to Nyakera, she is able to pursue those dreams.
Economy
Justine used to have to close down her shop for hours each day just to fetch dirty water from the swamp in Nkomero. Today, she enjoys clean, accessible water right from a tap outside her store. This has meant she can earn more and put her kids into school.
Health
Mothers in Bwirambere now have access to clean water for washing and drinking during pregnancy and for caring for their newborns. Giving a baby like Kendres access clean water means she’ll grow up healthy, strong and educated.
Equality
Christine’s community received clean, accessible water in 2016. Once the daily burden of fetching water rested with her and her mother, but now her entire family can enjoy access to clean water directly from a tap, whenever they want. And what’s more – Christine now has a bright future, studying at University to become a teacher.
Give Water, Grow Resilience
1
Give water
Giving $125 provides one person a lifetime of clean, accessible water. No gift is too small.
2
Your gift works
Your generosity enables water systems to be built and taps to be turned on for families, villages and whole regions.
3
See the impact
We’ll share videos and photos and stories of the lives your gift has helped transform.