Clean Water is elemental to our existence—yet millions still go without it.1 An astounding 771M people2 across the globe are unable to access clean water. This World Water Day and every day is a reminder that clean water is elemental to our existence.
We've committed ourselves to helping protect and provide clean water to those who need it for over two decades. Discover below how we’re taking action and how you can be a part of it this coming Earth Day.
The ripple effects of change
Most of us consider access to clean water a given, but the reality is 1 in 103 people go without it worldwide. To put this figure in perspective, that’s twice the population of the United States. This number is unacceptable. The effect it has on an individual and community level is significant; ensuring clean water for all is a public health imperative.
Why does water matter so much? Contaminated water can transmit fatal illnesses including cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. According to our partner charity: water4, diseases borne from dirty water take more lives than all forms of violence, including war. It’s estimated that 297,000 deaths of children under 5 years old could be avoided each year if these risk factors were addressed.5
Clean water has the power to help change lives, giving community members more time to be in school and energy to focus on their futures. This is particularly true for women and girls, as mothers and daughters often collect water for their communities. In fact, in Sub-Saharan Africa, women are responsible for 72% of the water collected6, walking an average of 3.7 miles to retrieve it7.
With time to focus on their education, women and girls are better equipped to earn an income and make powerful decisions about their careers. This has a resounding ripple effect, enabling people to break free and combat the cycle of poverty. UNICEF estimates that once a community receives clean water, there is a 15% increase in female enrollment in schools8.
Clean water changes everything—education, income and health, especially for women and children. We’re passionately devoted to advancing ripples of change throughout the world.
