Imagine that you don’t have access to water at home. Every day, you have to spend hours travelling to collect water from a far-off river and, when you get there, the water isn’t even clean. Particularly for children, this means valuable time is lost where they are unable to make the most of being a child.
Aysha from Ethiopia is one such child who has to undertake this task. This is a day in her life…
Aysha’s story is not an isolated case. Climate change, extreme weather and increasing urbanisation mean that families in the poorest regions of the world are increasingly suffering from water shortages and lacking access to good hygiene facilities.
According to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, around 770 million people worldwide do not have a basic supply of drinking water. Almost half of the world’s population – over 3.6 billion people – do not have safe sanitation facilities.
Every day, more than 700 children under the age of five die from preventable diseases caused by contaminated water or a lack of hygiene facilities.
Water is a valuable resource that should be used responsibly and in a meaningful way. In many cases, it’s even a matter of life and death: Clean water, toilets and good hygiene practices are essential if children are to survive and develop.
© Riccardo Mayer / Shutterstock.com
GARDENA and UNICEF: two strong partners for a better water supply
A single company on its own is not able to make much of a difference. Therefore, GARDENA is supporting a strong partner that has the necessary experience and structures in the area of water and hygiene to provide sustainable assistance and act in the event of acute crises.
On World Water Day, 22 March 2018, GARDENA launched a long-term partnership with UNICEF under the slogan “Every drop counts” and has since contributed to UNICEF’s worldwide WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) programmes. This will allow UNICEF to provide more than 290,000 children and families with access to clean drinking water by 2023.
UNICEF programmes for water and hygiene
UNICEF plays a leading role in providing water, sanitation and hygiene services in emergency situations: The UN agency has been working to improve water supplies, sanitation and basic hygiene practices around the world for many years now, especially for disadvantaged families in the world’s poorest countries.
UNICEF, for example, provides water for village communities in African countries such as Niger or South Sudan, equips schools with water systems and sanitation facilities, installs solar-powered water systems in refugee camps, and develops innovative technologies to better map water sources.
In addition, UNICEF has launched broad-based education campaigns to teach families and communities about important hygiene rules, so that they can better protect themselves from disease. This is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fresh water during the school break
These elementary school children in Burundi are happy about the newly built standpipe.
© UNICEF/UNI180029/Colfs
Washing hands is important
After her school was destroyed by typhoon Haiyan in 2013, UNICEF provided emergency shelter, school materials and sanitation.
© UNICEF/UNI157812/Pirozzi
New sanitary facilities
A student from Zambia washes her hands – new sanitary facilities have been installed at her school.
© UNICEF/UN0145990/Schermbrucker
Clean water in the refugee camp
She already had to flee armed conflicts with her family; thanks to UNICEF, this girl from Iraq now has at least clean water in the refugee camp.
© UNICEF/UN020941/Hares
Finally flowing water
Since UNICEF installed a solar-powered water pump in the village, this girl in Malawi has access to clean water at all times.
© UNICEF/UN0119422/Chagara
UNICEF – For every child
Worldwide, professional and around the clock: UNICEF has been supporting children for more than 75 years in almost every country on Earth. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund was established in 1946 to help children in Europe following the devastation to the continent that resulted from the Second World War. Today, UNICEF is committed to ensuring that every child can grow up healthy and safely as well as go to school — regardless of religion, skin colour or racial origin.
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
