Global Water Facts
- More than 3.5 million people die each year from water-related disease; 84 percent are children. Nearly all deaths, 98%, occur in the developing world.
- Lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours.
- Lack of sanitation is the world’s biggest cause of infection.
- Millions of women and children spend several hours each day collecting water from distant, often polluted sources. This is time not spent working at an income-generating job, caring for family members, or attending school.
- Every 20 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease.
- Water related diseases are the leading cause of death for children under age 5.
- Women and girls spend hours each day collecting water.
- Without access to a latrine, girls stop attending school once they reach puberty.
- 2.5 billion People lack access to adequate sanitation.
A glimpse into the current water and sanitation crisis in rural Ethiopia:
In rural Ethiopia, women and children walk up to six hours to collect water. Most collect water from shallow, unprotected ponds which they share with animals. These sources of water are subject to contamination as rain water washes waste from surrounding areas into the source. The jugs women use to carry water back to the village weigh up to 40 pounds! Often, young children are left at home while their mother and older siblings collect water and their fathers work.
In the last 20 years, Ethiopia has experienced recurring droughts followed by food shortages and famines. During times of drought, water-related diseases are rampant. Surface water sources such as springs and ponds dry up. Remaining water sources are heavily contaminated by environmental waste, such as human and animal excreta, which is washed in when it does rain. The stagnant water serves as a breeding place for mosquitoes.
Programs
The L.I.F.E. Garden Program teaches K-12 students how to grow and eat organic, healthy food…
Evening Meals at School serve up organic, affordable communal dinners for the whole community…
S&S Homestead Farm demonstrates principles of sustainability and takes a leadership role in educating youth…
The Vita Parcours Lopez Island Fitness and Ecology Trail offers a scenic fitness experience for all abilities and ages…
Local initiatives support cultural diversity, a connected community, and healthy, well-informed individuals…
Collaborating with a local effort to bring clean water to a village in Ethiopia with the Water for Anasi project…