NEWS & UPDATES
World Water Day 2023
World Water Day 2023 theme "Accelerating change to secure progress on water and sanitation" is particularly relevant to our organizations operating in East and West Africa. The theme highlights the need for urgent action towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to water and sanitation, calling for collaborative efforts to ensure availability and sustainable management of these resources for all. We have a critical role to play in this endeavor, through the implementation of innovative and sustainable water and sanitation solutions, promotion of behavioral change, and advocacy for policy and institutional reforms that support access to safe and affordable water and sanitation services for all. Since 2017, Feeding Mouths, Filling Minds and Strides for Africa have funded over 20 water wells in different countries of East and West Africa namely Rwanda, Ethiopia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. We are accelerating progress towards securing a better and more sustainable future for all in our partnering communities.
771 million people in the world live without clean water. That is nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide or twice the population of the United States. The majority of people that live in isolated and rural areas in Africa spend hours every day walking to collect water for their family. In Sub-Saharan Africa specifically, only 39% of the population has water connected to their homes—and in the region's rural areas, this figure drops to just 19%. Not only does walking for water keep children out of school or take up time that parents could be using to earn money, but the water often carries diseases that can make everyone sick.
Access to clean water means education, income and health - especially for women and kids. World Water Day, March 22nd, is an important day for raising awareness about the value of freshwater and the need for sustainable water management practices. It is an opportunity to highlight the essential role that water plays in our lives and the planet's ecosystems. By promoting responsible water use and conservation, we can help ensure that everyone has access to safe and clean water. This day provides a platform for governments, organizations like ourselves, and individuals to collaborate and address the water-related challenges we face today.
How do we tackle this issue: Strides for Africa/FMFM works with local experts and community members to find the best sustainable solution in each place where we work, whether it is a well, a piped system, a filtration system, or a system for harvesting rainwater. With every water project we fund, our partners coordinate sanitation and hygiene training, and establish a local sustainability fund to ensure that water access is secure for years to come.
Quick facts:
Diseases from dirty water kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. 43% of those deaths are children under five years old. Access to clean water and basic sanitation can save around 16,000 lives every week.
Each day, women in Sub-Saharan Africa spend a total of 16 million hours collecting water. Access to clean water gives communities more time to grow food, earn an income, and go to school -- all of which fight poverty.
Women are responsible for 72% of the water collected in Sub-Saharan Africa.When a community gets water, women and girls get their lives back. They start businesses, improve their homes, and take charge of their own futures.
World Water Day 2023 theme "Accelerating change to secure progress on water and sanitation" is particularly relevant to our organizations operating in East and West Africa. The theme highlights the need for urgent action towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to water and sanitation, calling for collaborative efforts to ensure availability and sustainable management of these resources for all. We have a critical role to play in this endeavor, through the implementation of innovative and sustainable water and sanitation solutions, promotion of behavioral change, and advocacy for policy and institutional reforms that support access to safe and affordable water and sanitation services for all. Since 2017, Feeding Mouths, Filling Minds and Strides for Africa have funded over 20 water wells in different countries of East and West Africa namely Rwanda, Ethiopia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. We are accelerating progress towards securing a better and more sustainable future for all in our partnering communities.
How you can get involved: No matter how old you are, where you live, or whether or not you can give, you can help end the water crisis—and you can start right now. Please share this post to your social media presence to let your family and friends know the importance of World Water Day and if you’re able, head over to our website to make a one time or continuing donation. 100% of all donations go directly to the partnerships and projects that we fund.
FMFM: https://fmfm.squarespace.com/take-action
If you would like to get involved in other ways, we would love to chat! Our amazing volunteers have previously helped at our events, and even launch their own funding campaigns. Please do not hesitate to reach out!