Water is life. Clean drinking water improves and ensures peoples health, gives children the possibility to go to school permanently, empowers women, improves the local economy and facilitates a better future. However, many people in this world still don’t have access to this precious good.
Water
29%
2,2 Billion people don’t have a secured access to clean drinking water. Out of these about 579 Million people don’t have access to any kind of infrastructure providing drinking water.1
Sanitation
55%
4,2 Billion people worldwide don’t have secured access to sanitation facilities. About 2 billion don’t even have access to basic sanitation facilities.2
Hygiene
40%
3 Billion people worldwide don’t have access to secured hygiene facilities. 3
The access to clean drinking water changes everything:
#1
Health
Diseases caused by polluted water are responsible for more deaths than any form of violence, including war.
Access to water must therefore be secured, and the water removed must be clean and remain clean as well. In holistic projects, this is made possible above all by measures for sanitation and hygiene.
#2
Time
On the African continent alone, women need 40 million hours a year to fetch water.
Without a water connection in your own house, fetching water is time-consuming. Women in particular gain time by having a well nearby, which can be used for self-determined tasks.
#3
Education
Access to safe drinking water helps keep children in school longer, especially girls.
Lack of access to water is a reason to stay away from school. On the other hand, girls in particular benefit from holistic projects that also consider sanitary and hygiene components in addition to water (WASH). Otherwise the first menstruation is a common reason not to go to school.
#4
Female Empowerment
Access to clean drinking water gives women and girls more freedom. The time gained can be used in a targeted manner: You can go to school, start your own business and have more influence on your own future.
Viva con Agua promotes holistic WASH projects (water, sanitation, hygiene) to give people long-term access to clean drinking water.
