News

Hilary Benn visits Dhaka's slums

Hilary Benn, the UK's Secretary of State for International Development recently visited WaterAid-supported projects in the Baganbari slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Millions of people are crammed in to Dhaka's slums without even the most basic services like water and sanitation; often living in homes that flood every year.

On his visit he met families who had replaced their old hanging latrines (which flowed straight in to the surrounding area) with safe, clean latrine blocks and new communal water points.

The families told him how diarrhoeal diseases had reduced and how they can now drink safe water. Having also heard from children singing songs about sanitation Hilary Benn said, "I am amazed to see life here and how you are trying to improve your conditions. I am very impressed."

What happened in 2005 to Make Poverty History?

WaterAid was a founder member of the Make Poverty History coalition calling for more and better aid, debt cancellation and trade justice in 2005. But what was achieved through the year of campaigning?

People power was central, with 250,000 people taking to the streets of Edinburgh ahead of the G8 summit and 31 million people from 84 national coalitions around the world united in the Global Call to Action against poverty.

The pressure resulted in some successes. Rich countries have promised to give more aid and, in principle, some debts in 19 countries will be cancelled. However there was a shameful lack of progress on trade justice.

There is still much work to be done towards the Make Poverty History campaign.

Credit: WaterAid / Dieter Telemans

For water and sanitation there was great news in March when the UK committed to doubling aid for water and sanitation in Africa over the next three years. But there is much more to be done and we need to keep up the pressure to ensure the rest of Europe prioritises water and sanitation and makes aid spending as effective as possible.

WaterAid's response to the Asian tsunami

Sixteen months after the devastating tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004 WaterAid's long term support to the affected area in India is well underway, changing people's lives.

WaterAid's skills and expertise have enabled us to help on the long term, post disaster rehabilitation work in India, including projects in Tamil Nadu which have been generously supported by the UBS Tsunami Relief Fund.

The Tamil Nadu project covers five relief shelters, ten villages and twenty seven schools and will help over 50,000 people gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.

These vital projects will ensure that facilities are rebuilt to a standard that assures the communities have lasting health benefits; making a vital difference to their future standards of living. They will also be used as a model for other local organisations to replicate and help more people in need.

Water on tap

A simple rope pump made with locally available spare parts.

Credit: WaterAid / Kate Eshelby

In the remote Benishangul Gumuz region of Ethiopia work is progressing well. In September 2004 the community from Alhamer Kebele had no safe water at all - but now everyone can collect fresh, clean water on tap and over 1600 people have improved sanitation. Some water projects in this area use the simple rope pump (as pictured) which can be manufactured and repaired with locally available spare parts.

World Water Day

World Water Day, 22 March, was particularly special for WaterAid in this, our 25th anniversary year.

We celebrated this UN-designated day for water all around the world. In India villages were awarded for becoming free of open defecation and families were given prizes for having the cleanest house in a village.

Our Citizens' Action report was launched at the World Water Forum in Mexico and visitors to the Eden Project in Cornwall were invited to play poopla - our version of hoopla where people throw pretend poos in the loos for points!

World Water Day was important  for raising awareness of WaterAid projects.

Credit: WaterAid / Alex Marco

Through Give an hour many individuals in the UK and Australia donated an hour of their March salary as a one-off gift to celebrate World Water Day, while children helped turn buckets of pennies into buckets of clean water.

Elsewhere campaigners took to the streets asking people to add their names to our new postcard action; altogether making this a World Water Day to remember.