Clean water is a daily luxury that we in the UK rarely stop to appreciate. We’re so used to being able to turn on a tap and get a fresh glass whenever we want, it’s difficult to imagine life without it.
But that’s the reality for a staggering 785 million people worldwide who lack access to clean water. More than 800 children under five die every single day from diarrhoea caused by contaminated water, poor sanitation, and unsafe hygiene. And in developing countries, families have to walk an average of six kilometres to find water, which is often unsafe to drink. Every year we recognise this with World Water Day on March 22; a day to champion the rights of people everywhere to have access to affordable, safe, and convenient drinking water.
Children like Cheru in Kenya, who at just five years old was walking for hours every day to dig for water in a dry riverbed. She and her siblings often got sick or missed school because of having to make the long journey. Her mother was constantly worried.
But at World Vision, we believe the global water crisis can be solved within our lifetimes. That’s why we’re focused on ensuring clean water, sanitation, and hygiene for every person in every community we work in, including the most vulnerable populations in the hardest-to-reach places. This work is more important now than ever, since clean water is essential for handwashing and disinfection to prevent the spread of diseases like Covid-19.
With our help, Cheru’s community built a pipeline that brings clean water down from a mountain spring. She and her siblings no longer have to walk hours to collect dirty water, meaning that everyone is healthier and school attendance has rocketed – Cheru’s school has had to build more classrooms to make space.
World Vision is reaching one new person every ten seconds and three more schools every day with clean water. And we’d love your help to go even further.
We partner with churches across the UK to provide clean water around the world. One way to join us is to hold a Global 6K for Water – a chance to walk or run six kilometres with your friends and family, raising money for communities who are in desperate need of help. We’d love your church to get involved. To find out more, please contact our team at churches@​worldvision.​org.​uk.
And finally, please continue to pray for all those around the world who are in need of clean water today, and for World Vision and our partners as we strive to ensure all children have everything they need for a bright and healthy future.
