Sub-Saharan Africa is home to over 300 million people living without access to clean water – an issue which affects every aspect of life from human health to economic development.
However, there are various ways you can assist. One option is donating funds directly to African water projects; another option would be building and maintaining wells.
There are many ways to get involved
Africa is in dire need of innovative water solutions. Amid scarcity of fresh water supplies and climate change wreaking havoc with rain patterns causing droughts and flooding, urbanization demands place additional strains on local resources that threaten sustainable development. TNC works tirelessly to expand access to clean, safe water through various projects.
Organizations such as ACF International are working tirelessly to restore boreholes in rural communities that no longer have access to freshwater. Their project provides clean drinking water, helping prevent hundreds of cases of diarrhoea each year and six deaths from diarrhoea alone. Furthermore, ACF also promotes good hygiene and sanitation practices through training sessions as well as community involvement – this has had a tremendous impactful result in people’s lives all across Africa.
One way to help is through partnerships with organizations that work on providing clean water in Africa. One such organization, The Last Well, has already collaborated with over 800 communities to bring life-sustaining water directly into households in need by digging wells and providing training on maintenance so these wells become sustainable over time.
Donating to organizations that create economic opportunities locally is another effective way of helping. Fund projects that encourage local business and infrastructure growth related to water.
There are many organizations working to bring clean water to Africa
As Africa urbanizes and climate change threatens water supplies, the demand for innovative and efficient methods of producing, storing, and delivering water has never been greater. Thankfully, organizations are working on solutions.
The African Water Facility, funded by USAID, is one such initiative that assists African countries in meeting the objectives and targets of water-related Sustainable Development Goals and African Water Vision 2025. Furthermore, this facility helps governments prepare and implement innovative projects to combat Africa’s water crises.
European research and innovation projects are also working hard to bring clean water to Africa, such as AfriAlliance (which connects African and European stakeholders on water management challenges), and DAFNE (which seeks to create novel techniques for identifying and treating polluted drinking-water sources).
Recent findings revealed that hundreds of millions of dollars are being wasted on water projects in rural Africa due to poor maintenance. One charity-built well in Katine sub-county turned out to be polluted with animal waste and infested with parasites; those living nearby must now travel longer distances for clean, safe drinking water.
Water4Life is one organization working to address this problem, by building sustainable businesses that sell water at an affordable rate, then giving local communities access to resources so that they may become independent without falling back on outsiders for assistance. This approach provides more sustainable results than simply giving out cash grants directly.
There are many ways to help
Clean water access is vital for any economy, creating jobs and alleviating poverty while simultaneously protecting delicate ecosystems that support life on Earth. Yet many African governments don’t prioritize this issue enough by investing enough in infrastructure dedicated to this issue – this area needs further attention from policymakers.
Organizations have come forward to respond to this crisis by helping communities drill wells and create rain-water harvesting systems, while others have conducted educational campaigns about protecting the source of drinking water and even developed filter systems capable of filtering out viruses and bacteria from drinking supplies.
An alternative approach would be for governments to work together on water-food-energy nexus projects that will address some of Africa’s major challenges for its future.
Past water provision in Africa was predominantly managed by states. Public utilities operated on a non-profit basis and charged minimal tariffs for piped connections, yet millions of rural and urban residents remained without access. Now, African nations face an acute water scarcity crisis due to climate change which has altered rain patterns and caused increased variability – leaving many Africans living without access to essential resources like drinking water.
There are many ways to donate
Lack of clean water leads to numerous issues, including poverty. Many organizations are working tirelessly in Africa and across the world to bring clean water access for all and transform how people view this precious resource. Donations and support from individuals is needed in order for these groups to continue their mission of changing people’s perception of water use in Africa as well as educate individuals on its situation.
There are various ways you can give back to these organizations, from one-time donations or recurring ones, corporate sponsorships, online fundraising programs or simply getting involved. Donating to these charities is an invaluable opportunity to make a difference and to stop taking water for granted.
Many of these organizations utilize social media to raise awareness for their cause. They post news articles regarding Africa’s water situation and encourage donations; some also host fundraising marathons and film screenings as events to bring attention to this problem.
Many organizations rely on local partners to implement water projects. Blood:Water, an organization founded by multiplatinum band Jars of Clay and activist Jena Lee Nardella, partners with local leaders to offer customized solutions that address their community’s needs – for example toilets, handwashing stations and services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission.