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HOPE International Development Agency is saving lives by enabling the world's poorest families to access sustainable sources of clean drinking water. 

Clean Water & Sanitation

HOPE International Development Agency initiatives throughout the developing world are community-driven and serve as the starting point for comprehensive transformation that reaches beyond the initial initiative. Here are a few examples specific to clean water and sanitation:

• Community reforestation and irrigation in the Dominican Republic
  
• Gravity-fed spring capping systems in Guatemala
  
• Water wells, bio-sand water filters, and composting latrines in Cambodia
  
• Spring capping and water systems in the Philippines
  
• Rainwater harvesting in the Philippines
  
• Drinking water and sanitation facilities for schools in Ethiopia
• Water systems and sanitation systems in Bonke, Ethiopia
• Boreholes for community water supply in Kenya
• Boreholes for community water supply in Sudan
• Community water supply in Northern Afghanistan
• Bio-sand water filters in India
• Water supply and latrine construction in Pakistan
  

Read a few examples of our clean water and sanitation initiatives:

Clean water in the Philippines
Clean water for South Sudan
 
See a list of countries where we are working

More than two million deaths occur annually from waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery the majority of which are children under the age of six.

Children living in the developing world are 520 times more likely to die from diarrheal diseases than children living in North America. Sadly, these deaths are preventable. Clean water from wells and capped water sources can prevent much of the suffering that results from the use of contaminated water.

The problems associated with contaminated water are made worse by a lack of adequate sanitation facilities. One third of the world’s population lacks access to basic sanitation facilities, and in the developing world there is insufficient knowledge regarding proper hygienic practices and the sanitary disposal of excrement. By improving hygiene and waste disposal practices, personal health can be dramatically improved.

There is more than enough water in our world for domestic, agricultural and industrial needs.

The pressing issue is not a lack of water, but the poor’s lack of access to clean water. The poor are often denied access to water due to a lack of economic resources, limited legal rights or by destructive public policies.

While potable water is important to all people, improved access to an uncontaminated water supply is particularly beneficial to women. In many developing nations, women are responsible for the collection of water for domestic use. Young girls are often taken out of school to help with this chore, which requires hours of walking to and from a water source many kilometres away. As a result, their education and the promise of a better life suffer greatly.

By providing access to uncontaminated water alongside health and sanitation education, HOPE encourages practices that positively affect family health.

Women are taught about family planning and other health and life strategies which empower women. Moreover, women with access to clean water are less likely to contract water-related illnesses and will spend less time caring for sick family members.

Every person deserves the opportunity to enjoy a life free from easily preventable diseases, and access to an uncontaminated water supply affords them this opportunity. Access to uncontaminated water acts a catalyst for both HOPE’s development work and HOPE’s goal of supporting people’s desire to be free from a life of chronic poverty.

Clean water is a cornerstone of all of HOPE’s overseas project activities. Where there is no water, HOPE helps people find water.

Where there is contaminated water, HOPE helps the people find ways to protect the water source and ensure the availability of clean water for years to come.

With clean water, communities can prosper. With access to clean water, the overall health of a population improves; farmers can better cultivate their land, children are more likely to attend school, and women spend more time on activities other than retrieving water. The culturally sensitive hygiene education that is offered ultimately helps in disease prevention and enhances the benefits of having access to potable water.