WaterAid is an international not-for-profit, determined to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation.
Since we started in 1981, we’ve remained resolutely focused on tackling these three essentials that transform people’s lives. Without all three, people can’t live dignified, healthy lives. With all three, they can unlock their potential, break free from poverty, and change their lives for good. Children grow up healthy and strong, women and men get to earn a living, and whole communities start to thrive. It sounds normal and it should be.
703 million people in the world – one in ten – don’t have access to safe water. They risk deadly waterborne disease each time they drink from a dirty borehole, a polluted stream or a dangerous well. Children are most vulnerable – tragically over 273,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. That's almost 750 children a day, or one child nearly every two minutes.
You can see why we’re passionate about this work. And working on this for over four decades has taught us that empowering people to make change within their own community is the first vital step out of poverty. Together, we will change millions of lives for the better – and change normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation.
