Blue Peter WaterWorks Appeal

Matt Baker, one of the Blue Peter presenters, in Tanzania with WaterAid

Credit: WaterAid / Alex Macro

by Perdita Chamberlain, WaterAid's Special Appeal Manager.

On Monday 25 November 2002, Blue Peter launched its 41st annual appeal, the Blue Peter WaterWorks Appeal, in aid of WaterAid.

Perdita Chamberlain gets out her double sided sticky tape and reports.

The Blue Peter WaterWorks Appeal is aiming to raise £500,000 for WaterAid, all of which will further our work in Tanzania and Uganda.

Amazingly this huge amount of money will be predominantly raised by children! All across the UK children have been holding their own Bring & Buy Sales: collecting together all their unwanted toys and books and baking in true Blue Peter style. But its not just UK children taking part - the Rainbow International School in Kampala held a cake sale and donated nearly £60 to the Appeal.

WaterAid is a good choice for a Blue Peter Appeal. Our issues are clear and simple for children to identify with: we can all imagine what it would be like without water and can clearly see that clean water gives people a healthier, wealthier, happier future.

Matt Baker, one of the Blue Peter presenters, flew to Tanzania in October to meet some of the people that the Appeal would benefit. "Women would have to walk and queue for hours to get water, then when they did, the quality of this water was disgusting and I had to watch them drink it," he says. "I then saw a village with a pump and engine which meant that people could collect clean water from taps. The difference it made to these people's lives was incredible. Children were clean and healthy and there was a light in their eyes you didn't see in the people without a clean water source."

To support children in their efforts a WaterWorks Appeal pack has been produced containing stickers, posters and tips for a successful sale.

Tony de Saulles, famous as the artist of the Horrible Science series, together with Laurence Anholt & Arthur Robins, creators of the Seriously Silly Stories series, all generously donated artwork for a fun and informative poster which looks at some of the issues facing children in Africa.

It is hoped that the Appeal will improve the lives of over 30,000 people in over 70 villages throughout Tanzania and Uganda.

It is amazing to think that for the price of a new CD one person's life can be changed forever with that most simple of ingredients, water.