WATER, SANITATION & HYGIENE PROJECTS IMPACT REPORT 2019
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WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE PROJECTS
CRISIS BACKGROUND
IMPACT REPORT 2019
According to the United Nations, access to clean water is considered a basic right and yet more than 660 million people live without safe water and over 2 billion people don’t have access to adequate sanitation. Millions of people within rural communities are constantly at risk of waterborne diseases, like cholera and dengue fever, as a result of inadequate access to water. Water and sanitation related diseases remain the leading cause of death for children under the age of five. Moreover, access to healthcare is often limited in these countries, making a simple illness, like diarrhea, deadly. Additionally, water sustains crops and livestock, which are a major source of income for many communities Islamic Relief Canada works in. Without water, pastoral families lose their livelihood, as well as their food security. Women and girls are especially affected by water crises, as they walk for hours at a time to collect dirty water. This detracts from the time they could use to attend school and limits their availability to generate an income.
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WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE PROJECTS
OUR APPROACH
IMPACT REPORT 2019
The demand for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assistance has increased significantly with rapid population growth, urbanization, conflict, and frequent natural disasters. Whether assistance is for emergency relief or long-term development, WASH is an essential component of humanitarian aid. It encompasses various forms of assistance, such as providing safe drinking water, distributing hygiene kits, building gender-sensitive latrines and toilets as well as improving hygiene awareness and practices. Due to the generous contributions of donors like you, Islamic Relief Canada has been able to operate in various countries across Eastern Africa and Southeast Asia to increase access to clean water and improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people. When conducting water projects, Islamic Relief choses a holistic approach that combines clean water services with better food sustainability and income opportunities. Through skills training and improving hygiene awareness and practices, Islamic Relief equips the community to overcome barriers and be resilient to the effects of climate change.
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WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE PROJECTS
YOUR DONATIONS IN ACTION With your support, we initiated a series of WASH projects this year, which continue to complement our previous and ongoing work. We are grateful to share the impact of your donations for the following projects.
IMPACT REPORT 2019
Bangladesh
Cox’s Bazar Rohingya Refugees Cox’s Bazaar is the home of millions of Rohingya refugees who fled their country’s horrors. The scale of the influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh resulted in a critical humanitarian emergency and heightened the spread of diseases. Islamic Relief Canada collaborated with our field office in Bangladesh and EKATA to implement a project with a special focus on protecting women and girls. EKATA is a women led organization which has experience in emergency and humanitarian relief. The project included the construction and rehabilitation of water points and semi-permanent toilets. The project provided solar panel installation, deep tube wells with pipes, shelter construction, as well as repairing existing water points. As a result of the project, 906 individuals now have access to safe water and more than 4,100, most of which are women and girls, are able to access safe sanitation services. 4 solar powered water wells were also constructed within the Rohingya refugee camp, and select community members we trained to ensure their water wells are maintained properly in the long run.
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77WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE PROJECTS
Kenya
Emergency Drought Response Drought is one of the major disasters that is currently impacting Kenyans. Due to inconsistent rainfall distribution, water sources were not adequately replenished. This led to various families to send their children to go further for water points and, in some cases, migrate to other locations within the country which increased the risk of internal conflict. Islamic Relief implemented a 5 month project in Northeastern Kenya that provided about 1,500 families in Mandera, Garissa, and Wajir Counties with unlimited cash transfers. Cash transfers are one of the most effective methods of aid that maintain the dignity of our beneficiaries and allow them to take care of their most pressing needs. In addition to the cash transfers, the project worked to rehabilitate strategic water points, focusing on solar power wells.
IMPACT REPORT 2019
Malawi
Supporting Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change Adaptation Most of the communities within Malawi live in rural areas and are heavily dependant on agriculture. This project, expected to be completed in 2020, focuses on supporting farmers in areas that are affected by floods and droughts. The project is expected to benefit around 6,000 individuals. The project provided farmers with sustainable irrigation systems, fish ponds, livestock, and farm inputs. Part of the project is also providing training and sharing knowledge on alternative agriculture methods as well as environmental protection that will help build resilience to food insecurity. Finally, a major aspect of the project is building hand pump and solar powered systems that will assist these farmers in their irrigation process and help them increase their yields.
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WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE PROJECTS
Sudan
Access to Safe Drinking Water Inadequate access to safe water remains one of the greatest challenges that faces local communities who continue to suffer from decades of civil unrest. To address these challenges, Islamic Relief Canada partnered with our local office in Sudan to provide access to safe drinking water and prevent waterborne diseases. The project is currently being implemented in the Al Rahad Locality in the central sector of Wadi Abu-Habel Basin Area. Water is usually fetched by women and younger boys and girls; and the average time spent getting to the water source is about 35 minutes. Currently most communities in North Kordofan rely on rain water pans and surface water, both of which are susceptible to contamination. The project helped increase access to and utilization of improved and sustainable water facilities, which will in turn reduce waterborne diseases. Part of the project will go towards the installation of 11 hand pump wells and upgrading current systems to 2 deep water systems. Furthermore, to ensure long term sustainability, the project will include training community health promoters. The project is expected to directly impact 15,200 individuals.
IMPACT REPORT 2019
Sri Lanka
Access to Pure Drinking Water The 30 year long civil war in Sri Lanka, along with natural disasters and droughts, have devastated the Eastern and Northern Central Provinces in Sri Lanka. These districts are situated in dry zones where the majority of the population faces difficulties accessing basic needs, including safe drinking water. Most of the population receive inadequate water supply since the majority of water is from surface water bodies, and hand pumps tend to dry up quickly. To address inadequate access to water, Islamic Relief implemented this project to improve access to pure drinking water for vulnerable communities. The project was implemented in the Batticaloa and Anuradhapura districts. The project included the installation of two water purification plans as well as more than a 100 water points. The purification plants will include tube wells, water pumps, purification equipment, and a building to supply the water. The project is expected to benefit 12,700 individuals – 6,858 of which are children and 254 are people with disabilities.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
“The best charity is giving water to drink”. – Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Thank you for your support. You helped make an immense difference for this community. Their lives will be forever changed, and their futures made brighter. We could not have done it without you, thank you and JazakAllah khair.
3501 Mainway Burlington, ON L7M 1A9 www.islamicrelief.ca 1-855-377-4673(HOPE)