Why clean drinking water and access to hygiene change lives

Water is a human right to which everyone is entitled. Yet today, one in four people live without safe drinking water supplies. This means that more than 2 billion people worldwide do not have reliable access to sustainable water infrastructure (WHO, 2022).

Water is an essential component of life

A day without clean water - hard to imagine for many, but reality for others. Whether for drinking, washing or daily hygiene, water is a fundamental part of life. The lack of this resource therefore has enormous consequences for many areas of life: water is not only the basis for good health and food supply, but also influences, for example, access to education and can thus help reduce poverty and injustice.

Water infrastructure is often lacking

There are many reasons for water shortages. In addition to the excessive extraction or contamination of freshwater and groundwater, climate change is making the problem worse. What is often not realized is that there is often enough water, but there is a lack of a functioning and well-developed infrastructure to extract water or make it available in rural areas. As a result, people use contaminated sources or have to travel long distances to get water. On average, 6 kilometers a day, every day.

Projects in Sierra Leone and Kenya for sustainable access to clean drinking water

By working with our partners, Action Against Hunger and FundiFix, we want to provide more reliable access to clean drinking water. That is why we support local communities in Sierra Leone and Kenya by building, repairing and maintaining wells, hand pumps and pipelines.

Time for school visits

Access to a sustainable drinking water supply not only improves health, but also promotes school attendance and economic activities outside the household. Girls and women, who are traditionally responsible for fetching water, particularly benefit from shorter distances to the well. Shorter distances mean more time. Time that can be invested in school attendance and thus education, for example. Direct access to clean water therefore contributes to people's self-determination and thus also brings a degree of freedom.

Clean water - a prerequisite for good hygiene

Good hygiene and sanitation are closely linked to water. Without access to clean water, safe hygiene practices are not possible. Together with our partners, Action Against Hunger and Welthungerhilfe , we therefore consider these needs holistically and are working in Sierra Leone and Malawi to expand the sanitation infrastructure in schools. In concrete terms, this includes the construction of sanitary facilities and latrines for students.

Why safe toilets are linked to access to education

Access to sanitation facilities and thus better hygiene is very important: the risk of infectious diseases is reduced and health improves. For children and the elderly or weak, in particular, this often means a higher quality of life and new prospects. It is also fundamentally extremely important that children have access to toilets and appropriate hygiene at school, which also guarantees their safety and privacy. The situation is particularly critical for young girls, because without toilets in separate areas, they often stay away from school as soon as their period starts. The availability of safe toilets therefore helps to ensure that more girls go to school and school attendance rates increase.

Sources: SDG Report 2022, Unicef ​​2023, WHO 2022