Many Americans take clean water for granted, but you might be surprised to learn that nearly one-third of people – nearly 2.2 billion – around the world don’t have access to safe drinking water. And, at a time in history when we’re still fighting a global pandemic, the importance of clean water has become even more evident. That’s why Feed the Children is celebrating World Water Day in hope of bringing awareness to this critical issue.
In the U.S., Feed the Children works with partners such as Niagara Bottling to ensure families have access to clean water – especially following natural disasters. In 2020 alone, Niagara Bottling donated 90 semi-truck loads of its bottled water to aid the nonprofit’s disaster relief efforts. Other partners who supply water for Feed the Children’s work in the U.S. include Nestle Waters, Hint Water, Safeway, Waiakea Water, CVS and Taste Nirvana.
Feed the Children’s water and sanitation intervention in communities across El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, the Philippines, Tanzania and Uganda are crucial in protecting children and their families from the illnesses caused by waterborne diseases, which can often be fatal – especially for children under the age of five. The nonprofit focuses on improving access to safe and clean water for parents and children and encourages the adoption of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices through child-focused community development programs.
As COVID-19 was spread through communities around the world, Feed the Children’s international teams increased their emphasis on the importance of handwashing and, in several communities, established extra handwashing stations.
Last year, Feed the Children promoted WASH practices to nearly 13,000 children to keep them healthy. The nonprofit’s health and water program impacted more than 391,000 children and caregivers in the communities where the organization works.
With help from corporate partner P&G, the nonprofit distributed 1.3 million point-of-use water purification packets in 2020 alone. These were used to help maintain access to clean, safe water in international communities where it isn’t always readily available.
While Feed the Children’s work to support vulnerable children and families continues, it cannot be done alone. To learn how you can help make a difference, visit feedthechildren.org.