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Badly Drawn Boy signs our petition
Singer Badly Drawn Boy signs WaterAid's Flush out Poverty petition.
Credit: WaterAid / Alex Macro

Glastonbury 2004

2004 marks ten years of WaterAid's involvement with the Glastonbury Festival and it was another record breaking year for WaterAid and its intrepid volunteers.

The Festival is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of water and sanitation, not least because having somewhere clean to go to the toilet is at the forefront of everyone's minds!

Michael Eavis, the Festival's organiser, had kindly made two new videos to show between bands - an idiot's guide to using WaterAid's popular African-style latrines and one urging festival goers to sign the Flush out Poverty petition. Over 10,000 people took up this call to action.

Meanwhile the WaterAid PR team backstage enticed celebrity support from a plethora of stars including Badly Drawn Boy, the Scissor Sisters and Vernon Kay.

New activities in 2004 included a team of recyclers keeping the bar areas clean, a raffle of signed photos of the 2003 bands performing, a text competition with Orange and a product promotion with Lee Jeans.

After the event a t-shirt from the Dance stage signed by all this year's performers was auctioned in aid of WaterAid and perhaps the strangest yet of Glastonbury activities took place - an auction of genuine Glastonbury mud, with proceeds donated to WaterAid!

As one of the three main charities of the Festival, WaterAid also receives a generous donation from the Eavis family. Glastonbury is a highlight of WaterAid's year and thanks go to all at Worthy Farm and of course WaterAid's hard-working volunteers.

House & Garden make a splash for WaterAid

House and Garden
Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton with their imaginative window boxe to be auctioned at the Daily Telegraph/House & Garden Fair.
Credit: WaterAid / Alex Macro

WaterAid was delighted to have been chosen as the designated charity for House & Garden magazine readers events and the Daily Telegraph/House & Garden Fair at Olympia this summer.

Thousands of House & Garden magazine readers splashed out and gave a party in aid of WaterAid. Among these was seven year old Jemima Scott, who held a garden party on her birthday to raise money for some of the world's poorest children.

At the Daily Telegraph/House & Garden Fair, which is widely recognised as being the UK's most prestigious interior and garden design event, WaterAid's activities included a raffle of prizes donated by the Fair's exhibitors and an auction of celebrity window boxes.

These activities have helped transform the lives of some of the world's poorest people. Thank you to House & Garden magazine and everyone who gave their support.

WaterAid awarded in Burkina Faso

WaterAid has recently won both the Burkinabe Merit Order and the Chevalier of National Orders for its outstanding work in deprived areas of Burkina Faso.

In his speech while presenting the awards the minister of economy and development spoke of support for WaterAid's "noble mission" and stated that "the various achievements already recorded have contributed to reducing the population's burden in terms of water supply, hygiene and sanitation issues".

He also urged WaterAid to "continue fighting poverty through drinking water supplies, hygiene and sanitation components."

Both of these awards were created in order to recognise individuals and institutions for exceptional development activities and it is a great achievement for WaterAid to receive them.

WaterAid Australia

WaterAid has entered an exciting new arrangement with a new group in Australia. Over the last 18 months, WaterAid has been working with a group of water industry and non-governmental organisations to help them establish a WaterAid-style organisation in Australia. The new organisation will generate fresh support from the Australian public for low cost, appropriate water and sanitation projects in developing countries. WaterAid's Council has now agreed to license WaterAid's name and logo to the Australian group on the basis of an agreed three year programme of work, and this autumn the new WaterAid office will be opened in Australia.

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Private sector and the poor
Private sector and the poor report
In recent years there has been much debate about the role that the private sector plays in delivering water and sanitation services in poor countries. While some say water is an essential public service and that it is wrong to make profits out of a basic ingredient for life, others say it is a good way to ensure more of the world's poor gain access to this basic need.
WaterAid believes that this debate must be resolved if it is to actually benefit the millions of poor people who still lack access to water and sanitation.
Following a year of research a multi-stakeholder review is now set to go ahead to generate new knowledge, local understanding and wide commitment among all stakeholders - including consumers, governments and businesses, of how water and sanitation services can be provided to ensure they reach the world's poorest people.
If you are interested to know more then please contact Belinda Calaguas on 020 7793 4502 or visit our policy and research section to download the report.
 
Security update
Trouble has been flaring in Uganda
WaterAid / Geoff Crawford
Troubles have been reported in Nepal and Uganda, both countries where WaterAid works. Following a short ceasefire the Maoist insurgency in Nepal has resumed and once again has resulted in WaterAid working in an unpredictable environment. However, through the refocusing of rural work to the lower risk areas of the country and the success of partners' conflict-sensitive approaches, WaterAid is confident that the likelihood of the insurgency disrupting its work has been reduced.
WaterAid's work has now resumed in Soroti in the Katakwi district of Uganda. Work here had been suspended due to the violence in the neighbouring districts of Kitgum and Gulu, where rebel troops from Sudan are crossing the border and raiding villages.