World Water Day

Today is World Water Day!

did you know that...

• Every day 4,000 children die from diarrhea caused by unsafe drinking water, poor hygiene and sanitation. 884 million people lack access to clean drinking water and 2.6 billion people live without adequate sanitation. Women and girls shoulder most responsibility for collecting drinking water and walk an average of 6kms a day.

• Water availability and sanitation is the world’s largest contributor to disease and death – more than malnutrition, malaria and HIV/AIDS combined.

• The United States has only made a limited effort since enacting the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 to prioritize safe water, sanitation and hygiene issues in developing countries.   5 years have passed and still no strategy.

• Ethiopia has 71,388,440 people without adequate sanitation and 49,895,000 people without access to water. 

• Water and sanitation related sickness is the leading cause of children death – more than malaria, measles and HIV/AIDs combined. 55,000 Ethiopian children under five will die each year from diarrhoea. Ethiopia struggles with a high risk of infectious disease due to waterborne diseases.

• Ethiopian local governments and communities can only make limited improvements to water access and sanitation because these problems are under-financed.

There are things we can do to help.  

1. Get informed.  Educate yourself about the needs that are out there.
2. Get others informed.  Link up! If you hold the knowledge and no one else sees a problem the next tasks will be difficult.
3. Do something.  Check out a few organizations (creditable) and see what kind of help they are asking for.  Key one to look at Lifewater International. 
4. Check out Rebecca's awesome post and an action call at her blog Ethiopia-here we come!
5. Txt SERVE to 85944 to donate $10 to the need.  ($10 will be added to your phonebill, money goes to Lifewater, safe and trustworthy)
6. Go deeper.  You are educated, you have given to the needs desribed (your money, your tithes, 1 latte a week, etc), now go deeper.  Get political.  There is more to be done.  

Information and images from this page come from The World Walks for Water, and Lifewater International.