Water, Health & Women's Empowerment- Guinea Bissau

The Power of Water

Water is a fundamental human need, yet in the west, we don’t often consider our access to clean water a privilege. But what if I told you that 785 million– or 1 in 9– people lack access to safe water, and 2 billion– or 1 in 3– people lack access to a toilet? These are the statistics as of 2020, according to the World Economic Forum.

Although water covers 70% of our planet, freshwater – the water that we drink, wash, and irrigate crops with – only constitutes 3% of the world’s water, but 2.5% is unavailable: locked up in glaciers, polar ice caps, atmosphere, and soil; is highly polluted or lies too far under the earth's surface to be extracted at an affordable cost. Therefore just 0.5% of the earth's water is available fresh water. The global water crisis, which has resulted from a combination of climate change, increased water usage, overpopulation and deforestation is a serious issue that affects many communities from Sub-Saharan Africa to Asia. As a result, many people struggle to access the quantity and quality of water they need for drinking, cooking, washing and growing crops. It affects communities deeply, as they must spend hours every day fetching and carrying water, depriving them of their ability to go to school, earn income or grow food. Due to the limited availability of water, they often resort to unsafe water sources, such as swamps and polluted lakes, which expose them to diseases like cholera, typhoid, and other water-borne illnesses.

Having access to clean water has far-reaching effects, providing not only improved sanitation and health, but also unlocking opportunities for education and economic prosperity. According to the WHO, 829,000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhoea because of unsafe drinking-water, sanitation, and hand hygiene; 43% of these deaths affect children under the age of 5. Helping communities to access safe water and health education can prevent these deaths and allow for a more prosperous, healthier society. Women and girls, who are often responsible for collecting water in many of the affected countries, will be given their time back, have opportunities for work and education and be empowered to take charge of their own futures.

With your support, we can continue our efforts in Guinea Bissau to provide clean water wells within each community that we partner with. Through building wells, providing residents with training on how to maintain these wells, and providing education on gender equality, nutrition, sanitation, health and growing their own crop businesses, we have seen huge changes in each community that we have worked with. This is a testament to the power of water; that given the resources and empowerment, everyone can experience and sustain an improved way of life.

Over a year ago everyone’s lives were turned upside down. We have responded to the pandemic, adapted to it and at long last can see a hopeful way out. We'd like to update you on how we have responded to COVID-19 in the communities we are working.
 
But first, we would like to thank you for your ongoing support over the past year. With your help, we have been able to successfully prevent any known COVID-19 infections from reaching the communities we have partnered with. We have empowered people with the tools and knowledge they needed to stay safe during the pandemic, as well as fight the economic impacts which have been widely felt the country.
 

Imilia now has her own backyard vegetable garden, where she grows onions, lettuce and other vegetables for her family 

 
With socially distanced visits, our staff have provided essential information about COVID-19 and how to stay healthy to hundreds of households. For those not able to be reached personally, WellFound has taken to the radio. Our staff have been broadcasting reliable information on how to stay healthy during the pandemic, with our healthcare workers taking calls and answering questions. Many people in rural Guinea Bissau lack internet, newspaper access and phone signal so radio broadcasts are a fantastic way of reaching people who would otherwise not be receiving the information they need. We’ve helped to build handwashing stations at schools, households and in public spaces and have not stopped helping families to build their own latrines. During the hardest months of the pandemic when people were unable to access food, we helped to supply emergency rations to schools, and have now helped to establish vegetable patches in public market gardens and household back-gardens so that women may grow fresh vegetables for themselves and their families. These have been key in preventing widespread malnutrition as food has become increasingly expensive as a result of the pandemic.

We cannot express enough how grateful we are for your support, especially this year. This work would simply not be possible without you. We understand that it has been difficult for people to donate this year and even if you haven’t donated, simply telling a friend or family member about us would mean the world.