Three Hundred Sixty Million
According to the United Nations, more than half of Africa's population lacks access to clean water. That's three hundred sixty million people.The number is impossible to really grasp. It's too big for the imagination. But those quotes in the righthand column from real people bring it home. These are just a few of the stories of those in need. But they are enough. We can do something to make a difference.
Water Stats
One third of women in Egypt walk more than an hour a day for water; in other parts of Africa, the task can consume as much as eight hours (www.unfpa.org)
The average distance a woman in Africa and Asia walks to collect water is 3.75 miles (www.whrnet.org)
The weight of water that women in Asia and Africa carry on their heads is equivalent to the maximum baggage weight allowed by airlines, 20 kg, or 44 lbs (www.whrnet.org)
Women are the primary caretakers for those who fall ill from water-related diseases, reducing their time available for education and productive economic efforts (www.unfpa.org)
In some parts of Africa, women expend as much as 85% of their daily energy intake on getting water, increasing incidences of anemia and other health problems (www.unhabitat.org)
"The water is not good in this pond. We collect it because we have no alternative. All the animals drink from the pond as well as the community. Because of the water we are also getting different diseases."—Zenebech Jemal, Chobare Meno, Ethiopia
"Of course I wish I were in school. I want to learn to read and write... But how can I? My mother needs me to get water."—Yeni Bazan, age 10, El Alto, Bolivia*
"The conditions here are terrible. There is sewage everywhere. It pollutes our water. Most people use buckets and plastic bags for toilets. Our children suffer all the time from diarrhea and other diseases because it is so filthy."—Mary Akinyi, Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya
*Yes, we know that Bolivia is in South America, but sadly, Yeni's circumstances are found in many places around the world as well.