Water is the most basic component of survival, and yet 1 in 8 people worldwide have no access to clean water and 2.6 billion still lack basic sanitation. Those who have to rely on contaminated water for drinking, cooking and bathing face serious health consequences like parasites, diarrhea and dehydration, and water-related diseases that kill over 3 million people a year in the developing world. Lack of clean water is closely linked to poverty, as frequent illness leads to missed education and work opportunities, hospitalization and high health care costs.
The need for clean water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene is prevalent in every community Children International serves. For the sake of the families in these communities, we have participated in a number of wide-ranging water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects.
How It Works
Children International works toward improving access to potable water, increasing access to sanitation facilities (latrines and washing stations), establishing effective partnerships with governmental agencies and other NGOs, and implementing programs that promote education on water, health and hygiene. Some key components of our approach are:
AquaTowers
Through our collaboration with Planet Water Foundation, Children International is bringing AquaTowers to schools and CI community centers in communities throughout the Philippines and New Delhi, India. Each AquaTower provides clean, safe water for the daily needs of 1,000 individuals. Planet Water staff train community volunteers, primarily youth, to install and maintain the towers.
Emergency Water Systems
These portable water systems – developed through our partnership with Planet Water – will be housed at 10 CI community centers throughout the Philippines. The systems can be deployed after natural or manmade disasters to provide affected communities with access to potable water for the duration of the disaster.
Basic Education
Children and caregivers are engaged through games, activities and short videos featuring furry friends from Sesame Street that reinforce lessons about personal hygiene. This information is further promoted through highly visible banners and posters displayed on AquaTowers and throughout CI community centers.
Health Ambassadors
Our Youth Health Corps (YHC) trains youth ages 12 to 19 to become community health educators, engaging their peers with a series of fun, interactive workshops on topics such as Germs, Hand Washing, Keeping Your Body Clean, Clean Water for Life and Saving Water.
Latrines
Children International is constructing community toilets throughout Honduras, the Philippines, India, Zambia and the Dominican Republic thanks to funding through private donors and our Youth Health Corps’ special projects. These latrines provide private, sanitary alternatives to open defecation – a practice that takes place in 15 percent of the world. Not only do proper latrine facilities ensure local water sources remain free of contaminated fecal matter, but they offer protection, especially for girls, who are subject to assault and worse when such facilities are not available.
Special Projects
Community wells and water towers are built in impoverished villages in Zambia, India, Colombia, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic through special donor-driven projects and annual youth empowerment campaigns.
