Water-borne illnesses keep children from attending school and create long-term health problems for them. To combat these issues, DAUSA will install large Sawyer In-Line Filtration Systems in 15 Honduran schools that currently do not have access to clean water. The incoming water pipes will provide an entire school with 200,000 liters of clean water per day, accessible at several stations throughout their buildings. The filter system will last for many years and is extremely easy to maintain.
The UNDP, Human Development Report (2006) estimates that children worldwide are absent from school 443 million days each year due to preventable water-related diseases. As of 2015, 31% of schools globally lack access to safe water. Schools in the community of Omoa, Honduras, educate children by providing hands-on learning and the development of vocational skills to prepare them for adulthood. However, their learning is impacted by the lack of access to clean water in their school buildings.
A Sawyer Water Filtration Systems is cost-efficient and reliable, providing up to 200,000 liters of clean drinking water per day! The filters remove parasites, prevent dysentery, and generally sanitize drinking water for hundreds of school children -- because kids can't learn if they are sick. And, studies show that access to clean water leads to increases in school enrollment, especially among girls (UNICEF, Advancing WASH in Schools Monitoring, 2015). Clean water promotes stronger futures.
This project not only addresses an immediate need for safe drinking water in the schools but also prevents long-term health issues in children that can develop from drinking unsanitary water. Each low-maintenance filter is only $2000 and will provide children with years of clean water. With this system, we will also install a clean water spout at a central location for the entire community to use. Access to clean water means access to education, access to income, and access to long-term health.