WaterAid News

WaterAid on the plinth - you decide!

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Jon Guest is a plinther. On Wednesday 8 July 2009, at precisely 8am, he will be mounting the empty Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square. What he wears while he is on the plinth is up to you...

Jon is one of the lucky people selected to take part in artist Antony Gormley's historic One & Other project.

Participants have one hour on the plinth to do as they like and, as a supporter of WaterAid, Jon has very generously offered to use his sixty minutes to help raise awareness of the importance of safe water and sanitation.

As his slot coincides with the opening day of the G8 in Italy, it's the perfect opportunity to really drive home the message to Gordon Brown and other world leaders that the sooner they start talking taps and toilets, the sooner thousands of lives will be saved.

We need your help to decide how Jon should best use his hour to make Gordon and Co sit up and take notice. All you have to do is choose which WaterAid/End Water Poverty costume you think makes the biggest statement.

Your vote has the potential to change the course of history, so what’s it to be?

The costumes, clockwise from top left, are: the inflatable tap, the normal tap, the toilet, and the End Water Poverty hand.

Vote now!

One & Other is commissioned by the Mayor of London, in partnership with Sky Arts. The project will see a different person take their place on the Fourth Plinth every hour, 24 hours a day, for 100 days and will commence on Monday 6 July at 9.00am. Watch all the action live from the plinth every Friday at 7pm on Sky Arts 1/HD and online at www.oneandother.co.uk.

Glastonbury revellers tell Gordon 'It should be child's play'

noreply@blogger.com (isabella) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:36:00 +0000

This year's Glastonbury festival saw over 18,060 festival goers sign WaterAid's petition to the UK Prime Minister, urging him to be a 'sanitation champion'.

The warm and sunny weather made for ideal conditions to collect signatures in support of the End Water Poverty campaign.

WaterAid campaigner Rhian Lewis said:

"Festival goers were really keen to add their voice to our campaign and put public pressure on the UK government to put water and sanitation on the international agenda at next week's G8 meeting. During the weekend the issue of sanitation was really brought to life for the thousands of people attending the festival who spend a few days without the luxury of their own toilet!

"The festival provided a great opportunity to get our message out to a large number of people, that it's just not acceptable for 4,000 children to die every day because of a lack life's basics – clean water and somewhere to go to the toilet.

"It's fantastic that over 10 per cent of Glastonbury revellers supported our cause, and added their name to the petition."

The campaign also received support from a number of stars at the festival including VV Brown, Mathew Horne, Paulo Nutini, Jo Whiley, Tinariwen, Baaba Maal, KT Tunstall, Ed from The Friendly Fires, Dominick West (McNulty from the TV series the wire), Keith Allen, Howard Marks, Nick Clegg MP, Emmy the Great, and Maximo Park.

Find out more about the petitions that were delivered to 10 Downing Street.

Campaigners carry the can to Downing Street

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:12:00 +0000

As temperatures in London soared, a group of African and Asian Londoners wearing traditional dress carried jerry cans from the River Thames to Downing Street.

Accompanied by campaigners, they handed in over 80,000 petitions from the British public urging leaders at this year’s G8 summit to address the appalling injustice that leaves billions of people worldwide without clean water or basic sanitation.

Their journey took them up over Westminster Bridge, past the House of Commons and Big Ben, finishing at Downing Street in the scorching heat.

The women recreated the experience that’s a reality for millions of people around the world. As the collectors of water, women spend hours each day walking and queuing to collect water for their families. Often, the water they work so hard to collect is dirty, polluted and unsafe to drink.

The walk took place in support of End Water Poverty, a global campaign that aims to bring an end to the water and sanitation crisis. The coalition is formed of over 150 organisations from around the world, who are all demanding urgent action and leadership from donors and governments alike to address the global sanitation and water crisis. Coalition partners include WaterAid, Tearfund and Unicef.

Steve Cockburn, End Water Poverty International Campaigns Coordinator, said. "If London ran out of water on a day like today there would be outrage.

"We want Gordon Brown to be just as outraged that 4,000 children are dying every day in the poorest parts the world because they lack clean water and safe sanitation.

"The G8 summit next week provides a perfect opportunity for the Prime Minister to stand up for the world’s poor and ensures their rights to the most basic elements of life - taps and toilets - are realised in full. Only by doing this can their promises to fight poverty be kept."

Leaders at next week’s G8 have been mandated to address this global crisis. Historically, political leaders have not given water and sanitation high priority, and the women will call on Gordon Brown to show leadership and talk taps and toilets in L’Aquila, Italy.

"Surely the Prime Minister would insist upon urgent action if he arrived in Italy next week and there were no toilet facilities and dirty water was served up at the negotiation tables,” Cockburn concluded.

For all media enquiries please contact:

Chloe Irvine (WaterAid): 020 7793 4909 or 07514 941577

Notes to Editors:

WaterAid enables the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Our vision is of a world where everyone has access to these basic human rights which underpin health, education and livelihoods and form the first, essential step in overcoming poverty.

At least 4,000 children die every day as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation.
884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world's population.
2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation, this is almost two fifths of the world's population.
WaterAid projects providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education cost just £15 per head.

Picture: Zimbabwean Londoner Lindiwe Maseko draws water from the Thames.
Credit: David Parry/PA

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:57:00 +0000

International songstress Natalie Imbruglia has joined forces with Ecover and WaterAid to create a compelling video that explores the environmental importance of the global water cycle.

Shot in Natalie's home, the short film explains how our actions in the UK can impact on the rest of the world and is packed with useful tips from Natalie on how to reduce water consumption.

"The protection of the environment is very important to me", says Natalie "so I was delighted to work on this film. There's often an abundance of water in the UK, so it's easy to forget the very real issues of water shortage and pollution in other parts of the world. The video is a great way to learn more and offers some really simple tips on how we can all make a difference."

The film supports WaterAid's partnership with Ecover, the ecological cleaning brand, which provides sustainable and ongoing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to 11 villages and over 14,000 people in Ethiopia.

To help you do your bit Ecover is also offering a free watercare pack which includes a hippo water saver for your toilet as well as tips on how to save water and reduce water pollution, both locally and globally.

Fern Britton backs WaterAid's Taste for Life

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:19:00 +0000

Queen of daytime TV supports WaterAid’s new foodie fundraiser

Much-loved television presenter Fern Britton is lending her support to a brand new initiative called Taste for Life, a fun way to simultaneously entertain friends at home and raise money for a good cause.

With the barbeque and picnic season almost in full swing, WaterAid is asking people to host a food event and invite their guests to make a donation to support our work to provide safe water and sanitation in some of the world's poorest communities.

With its emphasis on home cooking and an opportunity to enjoy great company, the scheme has attracted the backing of the doyenne of daytime television, Fern Britton.

According to Fern: "Nothing beats having friends and family over whether it's for dinner or just a barbeque, I love it! I hope people will feel inspired to join in with Taste for Life and celebrate great food while raising funds for this fantastic charity. WaterAid's projects literally save lives, so cook up a storm – and help bring clean water and sanitation to those without it!"

To help get Taste For Life off to a flying start, Fern has provided one of her favourite recipes for garlic and rosemary lamb with red wine gravy.

"I don't know what I would do without roast lamb. I even have it for Christmas," she said. "The recipe is a richer variation of your basic Sunday lunch, but boy it's good! The flavours of rosemary, garlic and red wine are perfect companions to the lamb, and the anchovies, though they may sound a bit odd, act as a tenderiser."

Amber Woods, Taste for Life Co-ordinator, explains: "We're asking people to get together with friends and family to enjoy good food, and raise funds for WaterAid at the same time. Taste for Life is flexible: you can choose any event you like. From a slap-up dinner party, to a relaxed picnic with your friends, or perhaps a mouth-watering Sunday roast or a summer barbeque with your family – it's totally up to you!

"Hosting an event is simple – especially with the free Taste for Life pack available for everyone who registers at www.wateraid.org/tasteforlife. Just invite your guests over for a culinary feast, have a great time, ask them to make a donation to WaterAid and finally, encourage them to hold their own event."

"We're so thrilled to have Fern's support for Taste For Life. We've got other celebrities coming on board too, Joanna Lumley is also sharing one of her favourite recipes with us!"

Across the world one in eight people live without access to safe water and 2.5 billion have nowhere safe or private to go to the toilet. Without these basic human rights millions of people are prevented from overcoming poverty and 4,000 children die needlessly every day.

Amber continues: "The money you and your guests raise by taking part in Taste for Life will support WaterAid's vital work. You can also be a catalyst for a bigger change by passing Taste for Life on. Why not encourage your guests to join the Taste for Life network by hosting their own event?"

Exclusive recipes from Fern Britton and fellow Taste for life supporter Joanna Lumley now available to participants! To find out more and to register to host a Taste for Life event online, please visit www.wateraid.org/tasteforlife.

For more information, please contact Lisa Martin on 020 7793 4524, lisamartin@wateraid.org.

Happy birthday WaterAid Sverige!

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:17:00 +0000

We're thrilled to announce that yesterday WaterAid Sweden was officially launched.
We're even more thrilled that WaterAid Sweden's distinguished chair is none other than Jan Eliasson, former United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Darfur and President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Mr Eliasson has experienced first hand the desperate need for clean water in developing countries:

"Exactly a year ago, when traveling with peace mediators, we were met by a group of women in a village in Darfur in Sudan. They chanted over and over: 'We want water, we want water'.
"Militia had poisoned the wells and now the women had to walk four hours to collect dirty water, water that made their children sick."

Mr Eliasson, who worked for many years worked on international policy, including the Millennium Development Goals, gladly accepted the invitation to be WaterAid Sweden's Chair:
"WaterAid is renowned and its work is practical and concrete. That is why I'm glad to be involved with WaterAid Sweden."

Engaged both by the UN and the Swedish Government on diplomatic missions and peace negotiations, Mr Eliasson has often dealt with conflicts rooted in scarce water resources:
"The fact there is a need to cooperate over water resources can be a catalyst for cooperation and I believe we can do more to facilitate this process."

An opinion piece by Jan in Sweden's second biggest daily newspaper talks about Fatal Neglect, WaterAid's recent report, which details how diarrhoea - the second biggest killer under-fives - is being neglected.

The launch of WaterAid Sverige was sponsored by the British High Commissioner and took place at his residence in Stockholm.

Win tickets to Glastonbury with Hunter, Topshop and WaterAid

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:07:00 +0000

To help raise awareness for WaterAid, Hunter Boots have unveiled another pair of exclusive WaterAid boots for 2009.

The boots will go on sale soon exclusively at Topshop's Oxford Circus store in London, as well as on Topshop.com and Hunter Boots - just in time for Glastonbury Festival!

Not only will they keep your feet feeling comfortable and looking stylish but, by sporting a pair, you'll also be doing your bit to help people without access to clean water. £10 from each pair bought will go towards helping Madagascan communities, where half the population lives without safe water to drink.

To celebrate Hunter and WaterAid putting the boot into Glastonbury, Topshop are giving away a pair of tickets for this summer's already sold-out festival.

To enter the competition, visit the Topshop.com blog here. But be quick - the competition closes on Monday 6 June at 6pm. Good luck!

The essential swimwear for 2009

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:42:00 +0000

WaterAid and H&M launch new swimwear range for summer

Leading fashion retailers H&M have, for the first time ever, produced a full collection of swimwear to be sold on behalf of international charity WaterAid.

Although this is the eighth year running that H&M will be raising money for WaterAid, it is the first time that the WaterAid collection will include swimwear for children and men, in addition to their usual bikini.

Always a popular range, 10% from sales will go directly to the charity which aims to save lives through giving access to one of our simplest needs - water.

This year's eye-catching floral fusion bikini for women comes in two vibrant colour ranges and has a RRP of £9.99 (top) and £6.99 (bottoms). The collection also includes tropical Hawaiian-style swimwear for boys (£9.99) and girls' bikini (£7.99). The five classic colourways of men's shorts are available from H&M priced £14.99.

WaterAid's Caroline Whatley says: "One in eight people in the world do not have access to safe water and every day 4000 children die from water-related diseases. With every H&M WaterAid swimwear purchase, customers are really helping us to reach out to these people, enabling them to access safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Look great on the beach and help a fantastic cause!"

Since the beginning of the collaboration in 2002, H&M has raised over £1million for WaterAid through its special swimsuit designs. In 2008 alone, H&M raised £216,202. The primary focus area for the funds is Bangladesh, supporting WaterAid's work in the slums of Dhaka and Chittagong to improve hygiene awareness and access to water and sanitation. Monies will also help communities in Madagascar and Tanzania.

Altogether, the projects which H&M are supporting will provide more than 75,000 people with safe water, 50,000 with sanitation facilities and more than 100,000 with hygiene information.

Ingrid Schullström, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at H&M, says: "H&M is very proud to support the charity WaterAid and the life-changing work that it does. Water is fundamentally a women's issue in the developing world, as it is mostly a woman's responsibility to provide water for the family and to care for those who fall ill.

"The partnership means a great deal to us, especially as WaterAid has projects in areas where some of H&M's suppliers are located, and women working in factories producing for us may benefit directly from WaterAid's work."

Note to editors
H&M Swimwear prices:

Ladies top £9.99, bottoms £6.99

Mens £14.99

Boys £9.99

Girls £7.99 (whole bikini)

About WaterAid:

At least 4,000 children die every day as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation.

884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world's population.

2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation, this is almost two fifths of the world's population.

WaterAid projects providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education cost just £15 per head.

For more information contact:
Lisa Martin, WaterAid

t: +44(0)20 7793 4524

m: 07887 521 552

e: lisamartin@wateraid.org

Picture shows: WaterAid H&M bikini, RRP top £9.99/ bottoms £6.99.
Credit: H&M

Another chance to win tickets to Glastonbury!

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:23:00 +0000

last updated 26 May 2009

We're so excited to see some of our favourite supporters revealed in the line up today including Amadou and Mariam, Basement Jaxx, Tinariwen and VV Brown!

We're hoping to meet them and some of the other fabulous stars back stage to talk to them about our work and find out exactly how much they love their loo.

Make sure you get a chance to catch a glimpse of your favourite stars too with our competition to win one of two sets of tickets to the festival. Just pick up a copy of Tuesday's (26 May) Metro freesheet or keep an eye on their website (please note the competition runs for a week).

Find out more about all things we get up to and how you can get involved with us at the festival

Olympian urges people to take up the triathlon

noreply@blogger.com (aka Joe) — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Olympic gold medallist rower Andrew Hodge is encouraging people to take up the challenge of the Mazda London Triathlon for WaterAid.

The triathlon is Britain's fastest growing sport and, by raising money for WaterAid, athletes can help some of the world's poorest people gain access to clean water.

WaterAid is the Official Gold Charity for the Mazda London Triathlon, taking place on 1 and 2 August, where competitors will take in several famous London landmarks as they swim, cycle and run their way to the finish line.

As well as encouraging people to take part in the race, Andrew Hodge has also come up with tailor-made training tips to assist would-be triathletes with their preparation for one of the ultimate fitness sports.

He said: "I'm thrilled that WaterAid is Gold Charity for the Mazda London Triathlon and anyone who takes part for WaterAid has my full support. It's a great feeling knowing that you've pushed yourself to achieve something; plus, doing it for a cause you believe in really gives you an extra inspiration."

Athletes taking part in the event on behalf of WaterAid will be helping people who themselves face a daily challenge of walking miles to collect water. Every step will help to bring them closer to safe water and a better quality of life.

All individual places for the Mazda Triathlon have sold out but charity places are still available through WaterAid. You can also enter as a relay team which means one person swims, the second cycles and the third person runs.

Triathlons used to be considered for iron men only. But things have changed and it is now Britain's fastest growing sport. Involvement from celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Craig Doyle and Kate Silverton has helped to raise the profile of the sport.

Event Fundraising Manager Charlotte Biddle said: "People don't need to be intimidated by triathlons. I speak from experience as I took part in this event for the first time last year – and believe me, I'm no fitness fanatic! It felt great crossing the finish line and raising the money for WaterAid; it made all the training worthwhile!"

Andrew Hodge's training advice:

Mental preparationTo race effectively, everything that isn't moving you forward must be relaxed. The best way is to ensure that you are focused on the job in hand; enjoy the fact that you're going to try and get the most from your body - and yes, this will include a certain amount of glorious pain!
Getting ready for the big dayRest well - the best form of rest is on your back. I know this won't be possible for most of you, but if you can find an excuse to check something you wrote under your desk sometime ago that might require a couple of hours, that would be great!
Eat well - lots of carbs, and make sure that you are drinking 5-6% of your body weight from at least a week before the event. Hydration takes time to build up, and will be an asset.
Making sure you don't give up when training Use someone close to you to help you out the door to train. It's always hard to find the motivation, but if you can use those around you it will really help. After all, just because you race by yourself, doesn't mean you're not in a team sport!
General fitnessDo something everyday. We were given legs for a reason! Use them!

For more information please contact events@wateraid.org, call 020 7932 232 or visit http://www.wateraid.org/londontriathlon.

For further press information please contact Mel Tompkins meltompkins@wateraid.org 020 7793 4995.

Millets Glastonbury walk raises thousands

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:19:00 +0000

On Sunday 10 May, 250 people took part in the highly successful Millets Walk to Glastonbury 2009.
Friends, families and pets all took part in the lovely 12 mile walk from Cheddar Gorge to Glastonbury, raising thousands of pounds to support WaterAid’s vital work.

Once walkers had completed the walk they were met by Michael Eavis at Worthy Farm and treated to an exclusive acoustic set from The Travelling Band.

Kate Vigar, Assistant Marketing Manager at Millets, who also took part in the walk, said:

"We couldn’t have asked for a better day. The sun shone for us as we completed the 12 mile walk over stunning scenery to Worthy Farm, where Michael Eavis met and greeted everyone and The Travelling Band performed a private acoustic set.

"As the walk got tougher towards the end, it was a good reminder of those people less fortunate than us, who have to walk miles every day to collect water. We are really pleased that we could play our part in helping to raise money for such a worthwhile cause."

Millets are continuing with their fantastic support of WaterAid with an exclusively designed Psychedelic tent.

WaterAid receives £5 from each tent sold, so if you’re looking to buy a new tent for your summer camping trip or need a tent that stands out from the crowd at the summer festivals, then get your hands on one of these bright and colourful tents today!

Pop into your local Millets store or

buy yours online here.

WaterAid is one of the Glastonbury festival's three chosen charities and has benefited from the festival for over 10 years. Find out more about WaterAid and Glastonbury here.

Julia Bradbury urges you to take part in Trail100

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:01:00 +0000

Countryfile presenter and outdoor enthusiast Julia Bradbury is urging walkers to climb a mountain for WaterAid.

Julia says: "It takes a lot to beat being in the mountains; the clear mountain air and spectacular views are exhilarating and refreshing. Better still, is the knowledge that while you're climbing, you're helping some of the world's poorest people to get another step closer to a fresh water supply.

"It's shocking and unacceptable - 4,000 children are dying every single day from a lack of clean water and sanitation. WaterAid's projects literally change lives, so please do join in with their Trail100 Mountain Challenge. Grab your boots, choose a mountain and off you go!"

WaterAid has teamed up with Trail Magazine for a second year to create the WaterAid Trail100 Challenge event. WaterAid is calling for teams across the country to join in and climb one of Britain's favourite 100 peaks, as selected by Trail's panel of experts. The event takes place on Saturday 6 June, 2009, with teams reaching their chosen summits between 12 noon and 2pm. The 100 mountain destinations range from undemanding hikes to serious challenges.

The event hopes to raise over £200,000. The money raised will go towards WaterAid’s work providing safe, clean water and sanitation to the world’s poorest people.

Hundreds of walkers from across the country have already signed up but there are still spaces on some of the more remote mountains in Scotland. WaterAid is particularly keen to hear from people who are interested in climbing Askival on the Isle of Rum and Squrr nan Gillean on the Isle of Skye. Spaces are also available on Foinaven in Sutherland, Cairn Toul in Aberdeenshire, Beinn Alligin and Ben Eighe in Wester-Ross and Sgurr na Ciche in Knoydart. To register or for more information go to http://www.wateraidtrail100.org/. "A walking event is particularly relevant to our charity," explains Josephine McLaughlin from WaterAid Scotland. "Often women and children in the countries where we work spend hours each day walking miles to collect water.

This time could be better spent at work or in school, enabling people to help themselves out of poverty."

Contact: Lisa Martin - 020 7793 4524 - lisamartin@wateraid.org

Photos, quotes, interviewees available on request.

Notes to Editors:

Trail100 mountains in Scotland that can still take more teams include:

Sgurr nan Gillean
Askival
Foinaven
Cairn Toul
Beinn Alligin
Beinn Eighe
Sgurr na Ciche

WaterAid enables the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Our vision is of a world where everyone has access to these basic human rights which underpin health, education and livelihoods and form the first, essential step in overcoming poverty.

At least 4,000 children die every day as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation.
884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world's population.
2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation, this is almost two fifths of the world's population.
WaterAid projects providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education cost just £15 per head.

Second biggest killer of under-fives being ignored

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:40:00 +0000

The international health agenda is failing to save the lives of millions of children by not responding appropriately to causes of child deaths, according to a new WaterAid report released today.

Read the report here.

Hard-hitting figures published in the report reveal that the aid system is not responding rationally to disease burden. Despite diarrhoea being the second biggest killer of children, critical interventions to prevent these deaths attract a dismal amount of international aid.

In 2004, diarrhoea killed 1.8 million children, yet between 2004-2006 only $1.5 billion was spent globally on improved sanitation – vital in the fight to protect children from diarrhoea. In the same period, $10.8 billion was spent on interventions for HIV/AIDS (responsible for 315,000 child deaths), and $3.5 billion on those for malaria (responsible for 840,000 child deaths).

The report stresses that the aid system must continue to tackle diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS but calls for a comparable effort to address diarrhoea.

'Fatal neglect: How health systems are failing to comprehensively address child mortality' argues that to reduce under-five deaths by two-thirds and therefore meet Millennium Development Goal Four, the aid system must target its resources to diseases that are killing the most children – such as diarrhoea – and focus on providing cost-effective interventions such as improved sanitation that can prevent these diseases.

"The aid system's response to the global child health crisis is not rational – put simply, a major cause of child mortality is being neglected," said Oliver Cumming, report co-author and WaterAid Sanitation Policy Officer. "Diarrhoea kills more children than HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB combined, yet compared to these diseases receives little financing and is not prioritised by governments in donor and developing country governments alike."

Fatal Neglect shows that the global imbalance of aid allocations is matched at the national level in developing countries. The report calls for national health challenges, rather than international campaigns to determine the allocation of aid:

In Zambia, the Ministry of Health notes that "over 80% of the health conditions presented at health institutions are diseases related to poor environmental sanitation." Yet environmental health receives just one eighth of the funding provided for malaria, a disease which kills a similar number of children to diarrhoea.
In Madagascar, UNAIDS (The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) found the number of deaths from HIV/AIDS was too small to estimate, whereas diarrhoeal diseases kill 14,000 children every year. Yet HIV/AIDS received five times more aid than sanitation between 2004-6.
Rwanda has a 3% AIDS infection rate, but in 2005 almost 75% of donor assistance for health was for HIV/AIDS and only 2% for health care services for childhood illnesses.

"Disease burden is not informing aid decisions," said Cumming. "Donors need to take a long hard look at their financing and priorities and see if it actually matches the reality on the ground."

"It is not a matter of choosing between one disease or another," said Cumming. "Developing countries could provide a balanced response to child mortality if the 2005 G8 commitments to increase aid volumes were met."

The report also warns that by neglecting sanitation, the effectiveness of current health systems is being reduced.

"There is no doubt that diarrhoea is one of the biggest child killers. The aid system is failing to respond to the evidence, and this is contributing to millions of preventable child deaths."

Available for interview:

WaterAid Policy Officer, Report co-author Oliver Cumming
WaterAid Executive Director, Barbara Frost
WaterAid Programme Manager, Advocacy and Communications, Zambia, Nancy Mukumbuta

For all media enquiries/interviews please contact:
Chloe Irvine, Media Officer - PolicyDDI +44 207 793 4909Mobile +44 751 494 1577chloeirvine@wateraid.org

Kurt Jackson art auction raises £29,000

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Exclusive paintings by Kurt Jackson were auctioned at the Guardian offices in Kings Cross on 27 April, raising more than £29,000 for WaterAid.

The auction, organised by Glastonbury Festivals in conjunction with the Guardian, gave people the chance to bid for 16 original paintings by the artist Kurt Jackson, one of Britain's leading contemporary painters.

Kurt is Glastonbury Festival's artist-in-residence and all of the works were painted in-situ during the last two festivals.

Cara Keane, Corporate Fundraising Assistant at WaterAid, said, "It was a really fun evening, and provided a great opportunity for us to showcase our work to people who might otherwise not know about the things we do.

"As well as raising lots of money, the night encouraged many people to ask about WaterAid, so it was a huge success."

In addition to the originals being auctioned, there are limited edition prints available for purchase at £85 inc VAT (plus £10 post and packaging).

The prints went on sale from WaterAid's online shop on April 20 2009 and the first fifty prints purchased are signed by Kurt Jackson and Michael Eavis.

Kurt Jackson explains his art work:
"This series of paintings represents the last two Glastonburys - again I have sat on stages, got in the way of musicians, distracted the audience's attention, sat in the mud and under people's feet to try and catch the feeling of the place and the times and to celebrate this joyous occasion. And then what could be better - it all ends up helping this worthwhile cause – WaterAid!"

Michael Eavis says:
"When I originally met Kurt in the summer of '97 at my daughter's house in Cornwall, I couldn't possibly have imagined the huge success that followed. His auctions have been most exciting and, with the help of our charismatic 'in house' auctioneer Henry Simon, Kurt's work has raised over £100,000 for the Festival's charities. Thanks Kurt and Caroline so much."

Duncan Wilbur, Development Manager, Corporate and Events for WaterAid, said:
"It is great to be working directly with Kurt again and benefiting from his fantastic paintings. I hope that people will come along and bid for a unique piece of his work. Thank you to Kurt and all at Glastonbury Festivals for their ongoing support, helping us to bring fresh clean water to those in poverty, without it."

The auction has been a huge success each year with over £100,000 being raised so far for the three main charities of Glastonbury Festival: WaterAid, Oxfam and Greenpeace, who annually benefit in turn from Kurt Jackson's generosity.

For more information about the auction, please email carakeane@wateraid.org.

Marathon runners raise thousands for WaterAid

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:51:00 +0000

101 people took part in the Flora London Marathon on 26 April to raise money for WaterAid.
Among the runners were WaterAid supporters dressed as Humphrey the camel, a bucket, a toilet and, surprisingly, a carrot!

Bob Prothero, 49, from Staines, dressed as a giant carrot and completed the marathon in 3:34:35, winning the Guiness Book of Records title of "World's Fastest Marathon, dressed as a Vegetable" – raising over £2,000 for WaterAid!

Bob said, "I decided to support WaterAid because we all need safe, clean water to survive. In a world where there is so much extravagance and waste, to deny anyone of this basic human right is outrageous."

David Fortune, 51, from Banbury, ran dressed as a toilet, completing the course in 4:20:10 and raising double his target at over £800. David, who creates and supplies specialist software systems for the water industry, said, "I chose to run for WaterAid because I am aware of the tremendous legacy left to us in the UK by those who developed our water supply and sanitation systems. We are all healthier, wealthier and happier because we have clean water – and yet we are able to take this for granted.

"Millions of people in other countries are not so lucky; diarrhoea caused by poor sanitation and lack of clean water is the second biggest killer of children worldwide. The ideas and practical support offered by WaterAid are transforming millions of people’s lives year after year. So I feel privileged to be able to support the charity.

It is hoped that the WaterAid runners will raise a total of around £110,000.

You can still support WaterAid runners by visiting their justgiving pages here.

For more information, please contact Nicola Bourne on nicolabourne@wateraid.org or 020 7793 4939.

Budget good news for world's poor

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:19:00 +0000

But more priority needed for water and sanitation

Clean water is one of the key building blocks of development

Credit: WaterAid / Alex Macro

22 April 2009

The government is to be congratulated for keeping its commitment to the world’s poor in today’s budget, but must now ensure they give more priority to water and sanitation in their aid spending.

The UK government announced today that it will hold firm on its commitment to provide 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) for international development, and will remain on track to deliver £9.1 billion of overseas development aid by 2010-11.

"This is fantastic news for the world’s poor, who desperately need support at this time of global downturn. The Department for International Development (DFID) should be congratulated for making good on their promises and ensuring that people living in extreme poverty are not forgotten,” said Laura Hucks, WaterAid Development Finance Policy Officer.

"However, DFID now needs to think more strategically about how they use their budget. Safe drinking water and sanitation – areas that currently receive much less funding than other inter-related areas of development, such as health and education – must be given more priority," said Hucks. "When lack of access to these basic services accounts for 28% of all under-five deaths in the world – far more than malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis combined – current under-investment cannot be justified."

The UK government has significantly increased its contributions to health and education over the last decade. However, it has not shown the same commitment to water and sanitation – two of the most important building blocks of development. Latest DFID figures show that the UK gave just 5% of its sector aid to water and sanitation compared to 12% and 18% going to education and health respectively.

"Despite the vital importance of safe water and sanitation to child health and to other development efforts, these life-saving interventions continue to be neglected by international leaders," added Hucks. "The government must ensure that their continued efforts to bring an end to global poverty are not undermined by lack of priority given to water and sanitation."

For all media enquiries/interviews please contact Chloe Irvine at chloeirvine@wateraid.org or call her on 020 7793 4909 or 075 1494 1577.

Kurt Jackson Glastonbury art auction

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:07:00 +0000

Exclusive paintings by Kurt Jackson will be auctioned at the Guardian offices in Kings Cross on 20 April to raise money for WaterAid.

The auction, organised by Glastonbury Festivals in conjunction with the Guardian, gives people the chance to bid for 16 original paintings by the artist Kurt Jackson, one of Britain's leading contemporary painters.

Kurt is Glastonbury Festival's artist-in-residence and all of the works were painted in-situ during the last two festivals.

In addition to the originals being auctioned, there are limited edition prints available for purchase at £85 inc VAT.

The prints will be available from WaterAid's online shop from April 20 2009 and the first fifty prints purchased will be signed by Kurt Jackson and Michael Eavis.

Kurt Jackson explains his art work:
"This series of paintings represents the last two Glastonburys - again I have sat on stages, got in the way of musicians, distracted the audience's attention, sat in the mud and under people's feet to try and catch the feeling of the place and the times and to celebrate this joyous occasion. And then what could be better - it all ends up helping this worthwhile cause – WaterAid!"

Michael Eavis says:
"When I originally met Kurt in the summer of '97 at my daughter's house in Cornwall, I couldn't possibly have imagined the huge success that followed. His auctions have been most exciting and, with the help of our charismatic 'in house' auctioneer Henry Simon, Kurt's work has raised over £100,000 for the Festival's charities. Thanks Kurt and Caroline so much."

Duncan Wilbur, Development Manager, Corporate and Events for WaterAid, said:
"It is great to be working directly with Kurt again and benefiting from his fantastic paintings. I hope that people will come along and bid for a unique piece of his work. Thank you to Kurt and all at Glastonbury Festivals for their ongoing support, helping us to bring fresh clean water to those in poverty, without it."

The auction has been a huge success each year with over £100,000 being raised so far for the three main charities of Glastonbury Festival: WaterAid, Oxfam and Greenpeace, who annually benefit in turn from Kurt Jackson's generosity.

For pre-release interest please email carakeane@wateraid.org.

Notes to editors

Kurt Jackson is one of Britain's leading painters. Born in 1961, his work embraces an extensive range of materials and techniques including mixed media, large canvases, relief work, print making and sculpture.

Around 4,000 children die every day as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation.

884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world's population.

2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation; this is almost two fifths of the world's population.

WaterAid projects providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education cost just £15 per head.

Millets Walk to Glastonbury 2009

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Outdoors retailer Millets is supporting WaterAid with its first ever Walk to Glastonbury – a 12 mile sponsored walk from Cheddar Gorge to Worthy Farm on Sunday 10 May 2009.

From Cheddar Gorge the walk joins The Monarch’s Way, passing Wookey Hole and Wells Cathedral. On arrival at Worthy Farm, home of festival organiser Michael Eavis, participants will be met by a special guest and watch an intimate performance from The Travelling Band, winners of 2008's The Q Magazine Emerging Talent Competition.

Millets hope to raise £25,000 through the walk to support WaterAid’s life-saving projects providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to some of the world’s poorest people throughout Africa, Asia and the Pacific Region.

WaterAid's Caroline Whatley says: "We are delighted Millets have chosen to support WaterAid this year with the Walk to Glastonbury. The event promises to be a great day out, while helping those living without access to clean water.

"We can choose to do a beautiful walk like this one, purely for enjoyment's sake, but for the 884 million people without access to safe water, there is no choice. Sometimes women and children have to walk daily for miles, just to fetch water which often brings disease to the family. Join us – put on your walking boots, and help others less fortunate to take the first steps out of poverty."

For more information contact Lisa Martin, WaterAid's Senior Press Officer, on: t: +44(0)20 7793 4524m: 07887 521 552e: lisamartin@wateraid.org

Brown needs to start talking sh*t

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:56:00 +0000

Poo causing global health crisis

Gordon Brown must start talking about shit, or risk millions more children's lives and undermine progress on reducing global poverty, warns WaterAid.

On World Health Day, WaterAid is demanding that Brown stops ignoring the fact that faeces are causing a global health crisis which kills 4,000 children every day. This is more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined – and is a significant barrier to reaching several Millennium Development Goals.

"Existing evidence suggests that poor sanitation is the single greatest killer of children, linked to as many as 1.4 million child deaths annually," says Oliver Cumming, WaterAid Sanitation Policy Officer, "Ignoring this crisis is scandalous, and the British Government must take action to ensure that the world's efforts to bring an end to global poverty are not undermined by a lack of sanitation."

Despite the vital importance of sanitation to child health and to other development efforts, this life-saving intervention continues to be neglected by international leaders.

Sanitation remains one of the least funded and most overlooked development issues, with most recent projections suggesting that the sanitation MDG target will not be met until 2108 in Africa – a century too late.

The WHO estimates that sanitation related disease results in over 400 million school days lost every year and costs developing countries up to 9% of their GDP. In sub-Saharan Africa treating diarrhoea costs governments at least 12% of their total health budget.

"Toilets are at the bottom of politicians' lists of priorities," said Cumming. "Last week Brown bought together world leaders to find a solution to the global financial crisis, and now we call on him to tackle this global health crisis."

"Without a comprehensive approach to tackling poverty that includes provision of sanitation and safe drinking water, global progress on meeting several MDGs will fail - including the goal of reducing the number of children who die before their fifth birthday," said Cumming.

"How can governments overlook an issue that contributes to the deaths of millions of children every year? A failure to respond to this crisis is scandalous."

For all media enquiries/interviews please contact Chloe Irvine at chloeirvine@wateraid.org or call her on 020 7793 4909 or 075 1494 1577.

Tap into WaterAid for Songkran at Mango Tree!

noreply@blogger.com (isabella) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:18:00 +0000

To celebrate Thai New Year, throughout April Belgravia's fine-dining Thai restaurant Mango Tree will be supporting WaterAid.

Diners will have the opportunity to donate 50p each for unlimited tap water, with all donations going straight to WaterAid. This is part of the charity's Tap into WaterAid initiative, where restaurants across the UK are encouraging their customers to make a small donation in return for tap water.

Mango Tree Restaurant Promotion

In addition, Tap into WaterAid followers will receive 50% off their total food bill. All they have to do is quote ‘WaterAid’ when booking.* See bottom of page for more info.

Familiarly known as 'Songkran', the New Year water festival is a time to pay respect to elders, friends and family as well as being synonymous with the throwing of water, marking the end of the dry season.

Mango Tree will be celebrating with fine food, fruit carving, dancing and music as well as a chance to raise money for WaterAid! You can expect delicious dishes alongside unique Thai dancing, theatrical performances and an exclusive showcase of Thailand’s stringed instruments including the 'cha khe', for guests to get a real glimpse into the heart of the country dubbed, 'the land of a thousand smiles'. Diners may also enjoy street food dishes from Mango Tree's very own stall, serving boat noodles and authentic desserts.

For a real taste of Thailand in all its glory, join Mango Tree on the 8 April 2009 to celebrate the Thai New Year water festival, and help raise funds for WaterAid too!

Mango Tree's Thai New Year menu, courtesy of executive chef Mark Read, at just £30 per person will be available for lunch and dinner from 6 – 19 April 2009.

46 Grosevnor Place, Belgravia, London SW1X 7EQ t: 020 7823 1888 www.mangotree.org.uk.
For more information contact WaterAid’s Cara Keane on 020 7793 4935 or carakeane@wateraid,org.

* Mango Tree WaterAid supporter promotion:

Offer: 50% off the total food bill
Details: …from the a la carte menu. Based on a minimum of two courses (one must be a main course) ordered per person.Includes VAT, excluded service charge.
Available: Lunch every dayDinner: Sunday – Thursday (6.00-10.30)andFriday - SaturdayDinner 6.00-07.00(standard booking from 6.00-7.00 - return table by 8pm)
Maximum: 15 peopleStarts: nowExpires: 31 May 2009

World Water Week 22-28 March 2009

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Tap water is the choice of UK restaurant-goers

New survey shows how 63% of UK diners could bring clean water to millions in the developing world through the 'Tap into WaterAid' initiative.

The UK's restaurant-goers prefer to choose tap water over bottled, according to a brand new survey issued today ahead of the UN World Water Day 2009, 22 March.

The research, commissioned by international charity, WaterAid, reveals that tap water is the preferred choice for 63% of people when they dine out. Over 23.5 million people prefer to order tap water with their meals rather than bottled. Despite this, one in four people surveyed said they have felt pressured to order bottled water when dining out.

WaterAid's drinking water survey also shows that women are more likely to choose tap water, whilst men are more inclined to have bottled water with their meal.

People in Greater London and Scotland are the most likely to choose bottled water, whereas those dining out in the South East and East Anglia are happy with a good old jug of tap.

Serious message

These findings were commissioned with a serious message in mind.

Whilst here in the UK we ponder which brand of 'lifestyle' water to choose, a staggering 884 million people in the developing world are without any clean water. The only choice they have is to walk for miles in search of dangerously dirty water, or go without.

Mothers have to choose whether to give their children water they know is unsafe, and risk them falling ill with diseases like cholera and typhoid – or to let them go thirsty. Not much of a choice. Every 17 seconds a child dies of a preventable water-borne disease. In the developing world diarrhoea isn't an inconvenience; it's a matter of life and death.

Restaurant-goers in the UK can help to refresh those 1 in 8 people eager for water.

WaterAid's new restaurant-based initiative 'Tap into WaterAid' is being rolled out across the UK. It's a simple idea – restaurants suggest to their customers that they donate a few pence for the tap water they enjoy with their meal, and all the money raised goes to support WaterAid's efforts to bring clean accessible water to millions of children around the world without it.

WaterAid's Deputy CEO, Andrew Cook, said:

Water is essential for life, yet here we are in 2009 and more than 1 in 8 of the world's population are without access to it. This and the lack of safe sanitation, results in over 1.8 million people dying from water-related diseases every year.

"We're so lucky here in the UK – we just turn on a tap and our fresh water is there. We are urging people in the UK to go and ask their favourite restaurant to give Tap into WaterAid a go. To find out how to take the campaign forward, please visit www.tapintowateraid.org."

(Unless otherwise stated, water and sanitation figures were taken from the Human Development report 2006.)

For interviews/photos contact: Lisa Martin on 020 7793 4524 lisamartin@wateraid.org

Notes to Editor:

Breakdown of survey stats below.
Andrew Cook is available for interview.
Quotes from restaurant managers already using the Tap into WaterAid scheme are available.
Strong stories/photos of mothers who've benefited from WaterAid's projects available.

TNS surveyed 2,018 people aged 16-64 between 10 to 16 March 2009 using an online survey.

WaterAid's survey revealed that:

38% of respondents always ask for tap water in a restaurant
25% of respondents prefer to ask for tap water, but sometimes feel pressure to order bottled water in a restaurant.
37% of respondents always ask for bottled water in a restaurant

This represents:

Over 14 million (14,222,000) people always ask for tap water in a restaurant
Almost 9.5 million (9,403,000) people prefer to ask for tap water, but sometimes feel pressure to order bottled
Just over 14 million (14,025,000) people always ask for bottled water in a restaurant

Regional findings:

Southerners are significantly more likely to order tap water in a restaurant than Northerners*
Most likely to order tap are those in the South East/East Anglia at 45%, least likely, at 33%, are Scotland and North East/Yorkshire/Humberside
People in the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside are significantly more likely to prefer to ask for tap water, but sometimes feel pressure to order bottled, than those in the North West region and Greater London.
People in Greater London and Scotland are the most likely to order bottled water at 44%, closely followed by the North West and East/West Midlands at 42%; least likely is South East/East Anglia at 28%.(*Southerners = London, SE, SW; Northerners = Scotland, NE, NW, Yorkshire and Humberside)

Gender differences:

Tap water is more likely to be chosen by females 39% (males 36%)
Females are more likely to prefer to order tap but feel pressure to order bottled
Men are significantly more likely to order bottled water in a restaurant than women

Age findings:

There's a steady upwards trend of inclination to order tap water ie from 34% of the 25-34 age group, to 49% of those aged 55-64.
Likewise, those who order bottled peak at 42% for the 35-44 age group, falling steadily to 30% for the 55-64s.

Charlie Dimmock launches Coast Along at Eden

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:48:00 +0000

On Monday, celebrity gardener Charlie Dimmock and the Eden Project's Chief Executive Tim Smit launched Coast Along for WaterAid 2009.

The two long-term WaterAid supporters got together in Eden's biomes to chat to the media about their shared concern for people living without clean water and safe sanitation ahead of World Water Day on Sunday.

Coast Along for WaterAid, which aims to put teams on each of the sections of the 630 mile South West Coast Path and the 186 mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path on a single day, takes place on Saturday 12 September.

As World Water Day falls on Mother's Day this year, Charlie thought it timely to highlight the plight of mothers in developing countries who often rise before sunrise to walk for hours in their search for water.

Both Charlie and Tim are encouraging people of all ages and abilities to join in with Coast Along for WaterAid which aims to raise £100k this year.

There are 96 sections in all and WaterAid organisers of the event are looking for at least 1,000 people to take part. Join us for a great day out!

To find out more, register or just have a look at the kind of walks on offer, visit the Coast Along for WaterAid website.

For more information, please contact: lisamartin@wateraid.org call +44(0)20 7793 4524.

G20 Summit 2009, London

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:39:00 +0000

On 2 April, leaders of twenty of the world's most powerful nations will meet in London for the G20 Summit. The meeting will be a massive opportunity to build a future that works for the benefit of people everywhere.

In many ways, the G20 is similar to the G8. There is, however, a key difference – size. The G20 consists of 19 of the world's largest industrial and emerging market economies plus the European Union. With more developing countries included in the meetings, the G20 is more representative than the G8.

We are all aware that the global economy is in crisis. For the past six months the news has been full of falling house prices and the collapse of banking giants. In these troubled times, the world's poorest communities face a worsening situation and as the economic crisis continues billions still live without life's necessities.

One in eight people do not have safe water to drink and over 40% of the world's population live without adequate sanitation. This is causing the deaths of millions of children each year, impeding progress in education and health, and preventing economic growth.

WaterAid's vision is of a world where everyone has access to these basic human rights which underpin health, education and livelihoods forming the first, essential step in overcoming poverty.

WaterAid, as part of the End Water Poverty Campaign, is calling on governments to take action to address this crisis. Without a global action plan and a commitment to finance national plans for sanitation and water, progress on achieving most of the MDGs will be thwarted.

WaterAid has also joined others to campaign for Jobs, Justice and Climate

In the light of the current economic crisis, development NGOs like us are joining with trade unions, faith groups, environmentalists and other civil society organisations, to call for a fair, sustainable route out of recession. The platform is united by three linked calls: decent jobs and public services for all, end poverty and inequality, build a green economy.

By being part of this campaign WaterAid is able to spread its message on the vital role that water and sanitation play in all human and economic development. WaterAid also recognises that there are broader issues that affect our vision of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.

For example, unless rich country governments keep their promises and provide 0.7% of their Gross National Income as aid, it is unlikely there will be enough financing to meet the water and sanitation Millennium Development Goal targets.

On Saturday 28 March 2009, the coalition will take to the streets of London for a mass demonstration entitled Put People First: March for Jobs, Justice and Climate. The mobilisation comes just days before the G20 Summit.

For more information and for more details on what the campaign is calling for, visit the Put people first website.

For more information please contact Chloe Irvine on +44(0)20 7793 4909 or by email at chloeirvine@wateraid.org.

It should be child's play

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:16:00 +0000

The UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is the focus of WaterAid’s new campaign action in support of End Water Poverty.

The campaign, 'It should be child's play', illustrates the fact that water, sanitation and hygiene education are the building blocks for development.

Using the imagery of a set of children's wooden blocks, the campaign also depicts the message that the current international effort on water and sanitation is in disarray and much more can and should be done to address this global scandal.

The campaign calls on the Prime Minster to be a sanitation champion, urging him to:

-Talk taps and toilets at the G8 in July and the Annual Meeting for Sanitation and Water in October, to ensure action from world leaders.

-Prioritise these fundamental human rights alongside health and education.

To build public pressure ahead of these two key influencing opportunities, WaterAid is promoting this campaign message far and wide. Get involved by taking action now - add your voice to the call for sanitation and water for all.

Play the new campaign game and take action now

Tapping Youth Innovation

noreply@blogger.com (WaterAid web team) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:51:00 +0000

Youth-Led Solutions to Clean Water and Sanitation

The challenge

Tapping Youth Innovation is a global campaign to identify and support youth-led solutions to clean water and sanitation.

WaterAid and Ashoka GenV, the world's largest network of young changemakers, invite youth around the world to submit proposals for youth-led projects designed to improve the water and sanitation services of people living in poverty.

The ten most innovative, effective or sustainable project ideas will receive seed grants of up to US$1,000.

Why?

Billions of young people today live without adequate access to life’s essentials. Millions die every year as a result. But young people are not just making do. They are coming up with creative answers to solving the planet’s water and sanitation crisis.

What do I need to do?

The challenge is open to everyone under the age of 21. You need to design a solution to improving access to clean water and/or sanitation (i.e. safe disposal of human excreta) for people living in poverty. Ten finalists will be awarded a seed grant for their project, which must be undertaken by a team of at least three people under 21.

Grants will be awarded to projects that best meet the following criteria:

Innovative – Project uses a new or creative approach to improving access to clean water and sanitation.

Effective – Project has the potential to produce a significant or measurable impact on the issue it addresses.

Sustainable – Project has the potential to produce on-going positive change. In other words, it’s not a one-time event.

Youth-led and youth-driven – Leaders of the project should be under the age of 21.
Appropriate - Project makes use of locally available materials and is affordable to buy, operate and maintain by the community for which it was designed. In the case of a water supply technology, it should aim to deliver water at less than one cent per liter over its design life. Design should be appropriate to local geographical and climatic conditions. Ideally it should address the needs of the most marginalized people within a community.

Eligibility criteria

The challenge is open to all youth under the age of 21. (Proof of age will be required before grants can be approved.)

Each participant is limited to one grant.

Each participant will be required to submit an action plan showing what activities will be carried out and how the grant will be spent.

Each participant will need to form a team with at least two other youths to qualify for funding.
Participants under age of 18 must have the support and approval of their parents or guardians to receive grants and launch projects.

How to enter

Please write a brief summary of your project (maximum 200 words) in English or Spanish and complete the online entry form at http://www.genvcampaigns.org/, or complete a printed application form and return it to your local WaterAid office.

Download Tapping Youth Innovation flier and application form ( PDF 261Kb)