Helping-Hand Appeal

A few months ago we introduced the Helping-Hand Appeal –a fundraising project run by The Salvation Army’s International Development UK and Family Ministries Units. The focus of the appeal changes every year and during 2023, it’s all about water!

The Helping-Hand Appeal encourages people to look beyond their own communities and help others around the world.

Picture It

It’s a hot day. You’re running around playing your favourite sport. You’re getting very warm (and a little bit sweaty!) so you take a moment to rest. What do you reach for?

There’s a good chance the answer is water!

Water Is Amazing!

We need water to live. For many of us, that may not seem like a big deal. We can turn on the tap and get water quite easily. But for 771 million people around the world, it’s not so simple.

Water scarcity is a big problem and it is getting worse. Water scarcity means people are struggling to get the water they need to meet their daily needs.

The Salvation Army is working with individuals and communities to nd ways to overcome water scarcity.

Water’s The Problem?

Water is supposed to be good for us, but in some places, people are forced to drink and use contaminated water that makes them sick. This might be because the water source, such as a natural spring or river, is shared with animals.

Water’s The Solution?

People have been working hard to nd solutions to the problem of water scarcity. Many tools and technologies have been created. Examples include: concrete protection around natural springs to stop the water becoming contaminated; sand dams to help people access a store of clean water all year round – even when the rains stop in the dry season; boreholes drilled into the ground, so people can pump water from the earth instead of digging into the dry riverbed.

Constructing boreholes is one of the solutions that The Salvation Army have introduced as part of a project based in the of Malawi and Esther is one of the women who has been involved.

Meet Esther

‘My name is Esther. I live in Lameck Kambombo in northern Malawi with my husband and four children. I’m the chairperson for our village development committee.

‘We reached out to The Salvation Army because we were having problems with diseases in the village.

‘The water we were using was contaminated and we suffered from diseases like cholera and malaria. We drew water from the rivers and had no way to treat the water so we fell sick again and again.

‘My children are clever, but because I needed their help collecting water, they would miss classes. It was hard for them.

‘We worked with The Salvation Army to construct a borehole that the whole community can use.

‘Now, we are flexible, we are happy and we are hygienic. Now, we drink safe water. There is no more malaria in the community.

‘We are thankful for this borehole – it has given us new life!’

Find Out More

We’re going to share more about The Salvation Army’s clean water projects in the next few issues of Kids Alive! so be sure to read all about it.

Spend a Penny, Give a Pound

One way to support Helping-Hand 2023 is by taking on the Spend a Penny, Give a Pound challenge. It’s simple: over the course of one day (or longer, if you choose) donate £1 for each time you use the loo! You can even use the Toilet Tally to help you and your household keep track.

Ask a parent or carer to use their phone camera to scan this pattern (a QR code) which will take them to the Toilet Tally.