WaterAid calls on public to March for Water

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This March, WaterAid are challenging the public to go the distance and increase the distance they walk every day of the month, in solidarity with the 785 million people in the world, who have no access to clean water close to home.

Money raised through March for Water will go towards helping communities get clean water for the first time, opening up a world of possibility.

Tim Wainwright, WaterAid’s Chief Executive, said:

“Safe water is a human right that everyone, everywhere should enjoy. Every day around the world, millions of people have no choice but to walk long distances to collect water. Women and children bear most of the burden, often walking up to 16km several times a day. That time could be spent in school getting an education or working to make a decent living. By stepping up, raising money and marching in solidarity this March, we can help transform lives for good”.

Bibata Ouedraogo lives in the village of Basbedo in Central Burkina Faso. In the past life was very difficult.

The nearest borehole was four kilometres away, but during the rainy season the roads to the village were impassable, so villagers were forced to collect dirty water from the riverbed instead – which was still a two kilometre walk away.

This all changed a couple of years ago when WaterAid and the community in Basbedo came together and a borehole was installed. Bibata and her family no longer have to walk long distances for water or risk their health by drinking dirty water from the riverbed. They can drink clean water, cook with it, and wash their clothes and dishes quickly and easily. They have time to put into their farm, which means they can earn more. Their children can go to school instead of making long exhausting journeys several times a day for water.

Bibata said: 

“We wanted to do many things but the difficult access to water didn’t allow us to do most of them. Since water arrived, it helped us in many ways. Now we do small-trade, we farm, we raise livestock and all these are sources of income for us.”

To help unite people behind this common cause, each person who signs up and donates at least £1 will get exclusive March for Water blue laces, which can be worn as a celebration of participation and support.

The charity has created a bespoke online hub, allowing participants to create their own fundraising pages; be awarded virtual badges when they meet their goals, record their walks and link distance tracker app Strava to their page to make things even easier. 

Whether supporters are taking on the challenge solo or in a group, they will not be walking alone – but part of a community making steps to transform lives. 

Sign up at https://marchforwater.wateraid.org.      

ENDS

For more information, please contact:
Maya Verber, Senior Media Officer
[email protected] or +44 (0)207 793 4909
Laura Crowley, PR manager
[email protected]  or +44 (0)207 793 4965.

Or call our after-hours press line on +44 (0)7887 521 552 or email [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

WaterAid

WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 28 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 26.4 million people with clean water and 26.3 million people with decent toilets. For more information, visit www.wateraid.org/uk, follow @WaterAid or @WaterAidPress on Twitter, or find WaterAid UK on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid.

• 785 million people in the world – one in ten – do not have clean water close to home.[1]
• 2 billion people in the world – almost one in four – do not have a decent toilet of their own.[2]
• Around 310,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's almost 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.[3]
• Every £1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of £4 in increased productivity.[4]
• Just £15 can provide one person with clean water.[5]

[1] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines

[2] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines

[3] Prüss-Ustün et al. (2014) and The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (2018)

[4] World Health organization (2012) Global costs and benefits of drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to reach the MDG target and universal coverage

[5] www.wateraid.org