PRIORITIES FOR ACTION - SAFE WATER AND SANITATION

“Today, almost one in two people in the developing world lack access to improved sanitation and almost two in three people lack access to clean water.” (United Nations Development Programme, 2006).

More than 1.1million people in the developing world do not have access to clean water. Deficient sanitation is even more prevalent with approximately 2.6 billion people (half of the developing world’s population) affected. Yet the global crisis in water still goes unrecognised and is holding back human progress and development; keeping huge numbers of people in poverty.

A Nepalese family with their latrine With few alternatives, people resort to obtaining water from ditches, rivers and lakes which may be polluted or used by animals. Obtaining water from such sources causes approximately 1.8 million child deaths each year as a result of diarrhoea. Disease becomes rife and serious health problems and disabilities occur. Water-related illnesses cause millions of children miss school thus hampering their vital education. The tragedy is that this situation is entirely preventable.

Safe water and sanitation is so important that the IMPACT family has formally added it to our list of priorities. Working in collaboration with our local partners in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nepal to provide latrines and wells, this action is making the world of difference to so many people.

The Human IMPACT

A community tubewell has been dug at Kasarani in Kenya. There has been a significant improvement in the health of the local people; cases of persistent illnesses in children have dramatically decreased and with the provision of clean water, families have been able to establish home gardens to provide a regular supply of fruit and vegetables to eat, thereby warding off micronutrient malnutrition.

In general there has been an increased awareness of health and dietary issues within the community. A great success story for IMPACT.

Kenyan villagers take water from a tubewell In Kenya, boreholes (drilled deep underground through rock to reach the water table) and tubewells (shallower wells, hand dug through softer ground) have been sunk in communal areas such as schools and hospitals. Clean water from these sources is used for cooking, cleaning and to establish home gardens. Previously women and children walked many kilometres in the hot sun to collect water for their household.

IMPACT Nepal’s programme in Rupandehi aims to bring significant results to this underdeveloped region where over half of all children under five are chronically malnourished. With generous support from Jersey Overseas Aid Commission, IMPACT aims to reduce malnutrition and improve water supplies and sanitation. Tubewells are being sunk and toilets are being installed in schools to stop the spread of disease. Similar action will be extended in other areas.

Following the devastating flooding in Bangladesh, during which IMPACT Foundation Bangladesh supplied emergency survival packs to over 2,000 displaced families, many with disabled members, 1,000 tubewells and latrines are being installed to provide long term benefits.

We hope to replicate these accomplishments in Cambodia and Zanzibar as resources become available.

£700-£1,000 would provide another tubewell

£8,000-11,000 would enable IMPACT to drill another borehole to reach deep sources of clean water