Helping-Hand Appeal

This month in KA! World we have been focusing on water – clean water to be precise!

Not everyone in the world has clean water on tap. Last year, more than 2.3 billion people faced water stress (that means that they did not have enough clean water to meet their needs) and almost 160 million children experienced severe droughts.

Not having enough water is a reality for millions of people and the burden of nding it often falls on women and girls.

Water Woman!

Anastasia lives in the Karonga district of Malawi and she, along with the other women and girls in her village, needs to collect water every day for her family to use. There is no running water in her home, so she must walk for up to an hour to reach the nearest water point – the river.

When it’s the dry season, Anastasia has to scoop water from the shallow pools on the riverbed. This task of collecting water is very frustrating. Why do you think this is?

It’s hard work

It takes a long time

The water is not safe to drink

All of the above

The answer is all of the above. Women around the world spend a collective 200 million hours collecting water each day. This time would be much better spent doing other things such as going to school, working to help to grow the household income, and spending time with family and friends.

Community Matters

Anastasia and her community knew that a solution was needed. They reached out to The Salvation Army so they could work together to solve the issue of water scarcity.

A project was created to construct a special structure to help improve access to clean and safe water. What do you think they built?

Sand dam Borehole

Concrete spring protection

That was a bit of a trick question because different Salvation Army projects have actually used all three of these technologies to improve access to clean water. Sand dams have been constructed in Kenya to provide accessible clean water all year round. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, concrete spring protection has helped ensure water collected from natural springs stays clean.

In Anastasia’s Words

In Anastasia’s community in Malawi, a borehole has been installed to provide a nearby source of safe water.

What does this mean for Anastasia and other women in her village?

Anastasia said: ‘We used to face the challenge that our water source was shared with animals. This meant we were often ill and our children suffered cholera frequently and had to visit the hospital regularly.

‘In the past we were working in isolation but now we work together. The Salvation Army has really supported us to cement our relationships. Before the project, women had no place in committees but now women do. For example, I am a member of the Water Point Committee that helps keep the borehole working.

‘More than 200 households use this borehole so in future, we hope to construct another borehole.’

Spend a Penny, Give a Pound Toilet Tally

More needs to be done. The Salvation Army wants to keep working with communities to improve access to clean water and ensure people have a safe place to use the toilet.

One way of supporting these projects is by taking on the Spend a Penny, Give a Pound challenge – over the course of a day (or longer if you choose), donate £1 for each time youor someone in your house – uses the loo! You can use the toilet tally on the right to keep track and ask your parents or carers to scan the code to donate.

Cool

Colourings

Megan, age 13, sent this brilliant Dancers Colouring. Don’t these dancers look like they’re having a fab time on the dance oor?