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About Wateraid
The Problem
Water is a life source. It’s beautiful. It’s a basic human right — for drinking, washing, cooking, hygiene. Yet, every day, millions of people go without access to clean water. More people have access to mobile phones than functional toilets. We want to help change that.
The Solution
The Opportunities
The realities of life without water for hundreds of millions of people around the world can be really challenging and uncomfortable to think about, but it’s incredibly important that we do, because it doesn’t have to be this way. Although the reality can make us feel unsure of where to even start, I hope this information will help you reflect on and celebrate what water brings to our lives, often without us even being conscious of it!
When people have access to water, they have so many more opportunities that they wouldn’t normally have:
Girls can get an education
Getting your period is hard enough in societies where there’s still stigma, shame and taboos surround menstruation. Add onto that not having access to clean water or a toilet means there’s nowhere for girls to clean change, wash and keep their privacy at school. As a result, girls often drop out, help with domestic chores and water collection, don’t get an education and fall behind, continuing the cycle of uneducated and poverty stricken women. Having toilets and clean water to change sanitary pads can be the difference between a girl staying in school or not.

Not having to live in fear of being attacked
Lack of toilets makes women and children particularly vulnerable. They face the shame of having to defecate in public so often wait until nightfall to relieve themselves. They risk being attacked after dark, though it means painfully holding their bladder and bowels all day. Women will often go into the forest to defecate and run the risk of being attacked or sexually abused in the middle of the night.





