Anyone who wants to focus on their wellness, has probably been told that the best way to start, is to drink more water. Staying hydrated while you exercise or merely while you balance a nutritious diet, is essential to regulating body temperature, preventing infections, keeping organs in working order and getting a healthy amount of sleep.
So … what are the 2 billion people worldwide who don’t have access to clean water supposed to do? 1.4 million of them will die of disease and illness caused by poor sanitation as a result of unclean water, if we don’t find solutions to help them soon.
The theme for World Water Day 2023 is “Accelerating Change” and considering those statistics, we have no time to waste. The United Nations estimates that governments will have to work four times faster, to meet Sustainable Development Goal #6 to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” by 2030.
Be the Change
As part of this year’s efforts to raise awareness, UN-Water has created a website that details actions everyone can take, to help tackle the world water crisis. There you can see what people in your region are doing to help, create your own checklist of actions to complete and submit your ideas for new ways to make progress. Be sure to read the introduction—an Indigenous story that reminds us how we all can make a difference, no matter how small the contribution.
Piped Water System Project for India
Over the years, giving clean water has been a primary focus for The White Feather Foundation. Past campaigns include projects in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Ethiopia, Malawi and Rwanda. Now, alongside our partners at charity:water, we have a short window of time to raise funds for a community in Uttar Pradesh, Northern India.
India has a population of 1.3 billion people. It is the seventh-largest country (when measuring by land) and the second most populous nation on earth. It is rich with culture, hosting 29 geographically and ethnically diverse states that each boast one or more official languages.
To address the clean water issue, the government of India has a goal of bringing piped water to every household in their country by next year, but they cannot reach it without help from outside organisations.
One of the local implementation partners in the field there is the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) who will help us, along with charity: water, to bring this new piped water system to life, once we’ve raised sufficient funds.
Founded over 50 years ago, AKF begins each project by securing commitments from key stakeholders in the local area where the systems will be installed. By establishing these meaningful relationships with area governments, they are ensuring the sustainability of what they build.
In addition, AKF uses the Behavioral and Interpersonal Communication approach when working with local communities, to provide training on healthy hygiene, system maintenance, conflict resolution and sanitation practices. Plus, area school management committees learn about the importance of promoting water, hygiene and sanitation in school.
The systems we’re hoping to bring to India are interconnected pipelines that use gravity, electricity, and/or solar power to deliver water directly to the desired distribution area. When possible, the builders use existing infrastructure to revive non-functional parts or add new extensions to systems that are already in place, to expand the dispensation area.
If necessary, an entirely new system can be constructed, and the size and structure is tailored to the needs and population of the receiving community.
How to Help
First and foremost, we would be most grateful for donations to our India campaign. Because this campaign has a deadline of June 6, time is of the essence.
If you’re unable to give, please share this essay or our related social media posts that are focused on Clean Water and make a personal checklist of actions to complete at unwater.org.
We thank you in advance for your support …
“Home 2014” by Julian Lennon is available for purchase. A portion of sale proceeds benefit TWFF. Visit Artsy for more information.
