WaterAid in Africa

WaterAid the most well know NGO combatting the water and sanitation crisis in the African continent and the world. Who doesn’t who WaterAid are? WaterAid work in the toughest and hardest locations in the worlds. They fight to protect the basic human right of access to ‘clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene’ (WaterAid 2019). They are changing live for the better in 28 countries around the world. WaterAid has been working very hard since it started in 1981 starting its first steps in Zambia and Sri Lanka. This charity doesn’t only tackle the water crisis around the world who don’t have clean water access, but also battle against the sanitation war across our plant. Can you believe that right in 2019 there is 1 in 4 people who have a decent toilet of their own (WaterAid 2019). WaterAid has been battling hard with the help of donations combat this life changing problem. 

Water is life. 

WaterAid Tackling Inequality 

WaterAid is also striving towards tackling inequality and not just water and sanitation. Not everyone in the world has the privilege to drink safe and clean water with good hygiene. The distribution of water and sanitation is unequal. From urban to rural, poor to rich, male and females, disabled, healthy and educated. What is WaterAid doing to bridge this gap? They are bridging this gap by working hard to provide benefits to all. From access to clean water, decent toilets and hygiene, where no-one is disadvantaged. The goal is to bring all people in communities together and change mindsets on taboos, addressing power balances and providing opportunities. Water is for all, with no place for discrimination. 

Gender inequality is one of the main issues that WaterAid is trying to prioritise. WaterAid have stated that 1 in 3 women and girls live without a decent toilet and it is estimated that 335 million girls go to school without water and soap available (WaterAid 2019). Furthermore, many girls and women spend more than 200 hours walking for water, this exposes women to more danger than men such as water-borne diseases. WaterAid has used the power of knowledge and education as a driver to empower women. There are some amazing stories. For example, the Kanuya Group is an empowered women group that specialises in soapmaking, in which they use micro-loans to buy bulk ingredients and then sell the soap to the people of their towns. By doing so, women have become more educated towards the benefits of WASH but also have become financially independent which boost self-confidence within the community. 

East Africa: Uganda’s WASH 

WaterAid has been working with Uganda since 1983, and since forming WaterAid Uganda in Kampala, 1,320,000 people have access to safe water and 170,000 people with sanitation (Water Action Hub 2019). Yet, still there is more than 23 million people who don’t have clean water, as most water sources are open water and swampland which is undrinkable (WaterAid 2019). WaterAid realised there is no quick fix money, so collaborated with Ugandan Government with their goal of reaching everyone with clean water by 2040. WaterAid partnered with Environmental Alert to implement two WASH projects in Kampala which would ultimately help improve water, sanitation and living conditions together. 

WaterAid and Environmental Alert worked together to form the Kampala Slum Transformation Initiative (KASTI) project, which involved several NGO’s and urban developers aiming to improve access to WASH facilities and information services to the people. This specific project target slum dwellers and school children to improve quality of life through simple but effective steps to improving hygiene (Nastar et al 2019). The brochures above are simple to use and interpret, which is very effective in educating the illiterate and the ignorant on subjects on keeping clean and living a healthy lifestyle. Thus, this project helped foster community empowerment by raising public awareness and strengthening education on the information about WASH. 

Uganda is not the only country that WaterAid has projects in, but a further 17 more countries within the African continent. In total WaterAid works in 18 countries across Africa, with local partners. The aim is to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone. One of the major themes to successfully getting clean water and proper sanitation is the empowerment of women and education. Women are likely to often exposed to risk than any other group, so WaterAid moulds solutions to fit the needs small communities and all. Overall WaterAid has a huge presence in the African continent, with WaterAid working in 18 countries within the continent and the remaining 10 countries outside of the continent. This is just the beginning! 

WaterAid’s Future Vision: 

Globally WaterAid is determined to bring clean water, toilets and good hygiene practice to everyone, everywhere. By doing so, WaterAid believe this will help end extreme poverty. That’s how strongly WaterAid feel about the water and sanitation improving human lives. Water is a basic human than everyone everywhere has a right to. By working together with advisors, debate shapers, policy makers, engineers, campaigners and fundraisers, WaterAid aims to bring about the best of each group to successful provide clean water and decent sanitation to million who are still living without it. Volunteers and community participation will drive forwards and unlock their potential to break free from the chains of poverty and empower people to change their live by grabbing the opportunities. How will change happen? Through leadership, active communities, equality, sustainability and integration. 

And WaterAid is not alone in this battle against poor sanitation and unsafe water. The NGO’s worldwide and activist shifting and transforming communities and government policies that ensure clean water and sanitation for all. WaterAid is fighting and so are others.