Water is basic to life.
Is water a human right? Are there equal rights to water? Who carries water? Who drinks water whenever they’re thirsty? Who doesn’t?
Inadequate water is both a cause and an effect of poverty
1.2 billion people lack clean water worldwide
5 million people die each year from water-related diseases
Over 80% of disease worldwide is related to poor drinking water and sanitation (WHO)
It is common for a woman in Africa to carry 40 pounds of water for her family on her head each day. This water must provide enough to drink, cook, clean, bathe, and do laundry.
One flush of our toilet equals the amount of water that may be used by one village household all day for washing, cleaning, cooking, and drinking (www.whrnet.org)
Healthy bodies depend on clean water. We want clean, safe water within reach of Aku villagers.
“Water and sanitation are primary drivers of public health.” Dr Lee Jongwook, Dir-Gen World Health Organization (WHO)
“Water is essential for life. Yet many millions of people face water shortages, and five million children die every year from water-borne diseases. We need to free women and girls from the daily chore of hauling water, often over great distances. Significant gains have been made. But a major effort is still required.
That is why 2005 marks the beginning of the “Water for Life” Decade. Our goal is to meet the internationally agreed targets for water and sanitation by 2015. This is an urgent matter of human development, and human dignity. Together, we can provide safe, clean water to the world’s people. Water resources are our lifeline for survival, and sustainable development in the 21st century.” -Kofi Annan, UN Sec. General http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/
“The Library is beautiful. We need water.”
The next step for the Aku Project, therefore, is to drill a series of bore holes or wells that will bring the water within reach of each neighborhood. We will be tackling this life supporting need as our immediate priority.
“In his 12 yea
rs of life, Emeka has never seen water running from a tap. He doesn’t even know the feel of water running on his head and down his body; he has never sat in a tub of water, nor does he understand that in some places, children are allowed to play with water. He knows a lot about water – about how precious it is; about the lack of it, and particularly about how much of his time he spends each day, trekking to and from the spring, 3 ½ miles each way. He has plenty of company on his water trips; in fact, fetching water is a ritual for young Aku children, some as young as five years old, who walk long distances to ensure their families has water.
Emeka, the oldest of five children, has for the past five years been the sole supplier of his family’s water. The only break he has comes during the short rainy season, when the family catches enough water in drums, to meet their cooking and bathing needs. A child growing up in Aku, in Eastern Nigeria, has a good chance of living his entire life never knowing how water is used in other parts of the world.
When I think of the water situation in Aku, I think of myself, how I’ve grown to take water for granted, even though I too was like Emeka, in my childhood. I remember how searching for water occupied most of my childhood. Sometimes, we woke up very early – at 4:00 A.M. to make several trips to the stream before we got ready for school. Then when we returned from school, we would rush to the spring to fetch more water before dark. On Saturdays, we spent most of our time running back and forth, carrying water home. I grew up believing water to be one of the most essential commodities on earth.
Imagine if you lived in Aku. Imagine what you would do if the simple task of washing your clothes or cooking food required a walk to the nearest river or lake. Imagine the children not able to play because of their immense responsibility. It is unimaginable, but it is reality to thousands of Aku citizens, everyday, every week, every year.” -Dympna Ugwu-Oju
“Access to water is a fundamental human need and therefore a basic human right.” -Kofi Annan www.righttowater.org
