2021 World Water Day: Valuing Clean, Safe Water
March 18, 2021
What does water mean to you?[/caption]
When you think of water, what images come to mind? A cold glass to drink after a long run? A tub filled with bubbles as you give your baby a bath? A quiet prayer beside a peaceful stream?
Water means something different to everyone—but we all need it to survive. Many of us turn on the faucet and it flows freely. But 2.2 billion people around the world still lack access to safe, clean water.
Collecting safe water in Capity, Haiti [/caption]
You are helping to change that. On March 22nd, World Water Day, we invite you to join us in celebrating the transformation taking place in communities where safe water was once scarce, but is now abundant.
The theme for this year’s World Water Day is “Valuing Water.” As you reflect on the value of water in your own life, let us praise God for how He used your partnership with Water Mission to change the lives of 1.6 million people last year.
Oreni is relieved to have access to safe water for her children.[/caption]
For Oreni, whose family had to flee their home in Burundi to escape violence, safe water means that her four children no longer suffer from chronic waterborne illness.
For Cecilia, a 63-year-old refugee in Uganda, tap stands in her settlement mean she does not have to walk for miles in the hot sun carrying heavy jugs of water.
For Rosario, a pastor in Mexico, access to water in his village means an answer to decades of prayer.
In Kinyongo—a community of 4,000 people in Kenya—access to safe water means more hours in the day for work, school, and family. Before Water Mission installed nine collection points throughout the village, women walked an average of three hours each day to collect water for their families.
Now, safe water is available close to their homes. Those hours can be spent doing things that are valuable to the women of Kinyongo: playing with their children, managing their households, and earning an income.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://watermission.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Kinyongo-Safe-Water-Project-Video.mp4" autoplay="true"][/video]
On January 28, our team in Kenya joined hands with the community to celebrate the completed Kinyongo Safe Water Project during a special dedication ceremony. Japheth Katumo, a member of the community assembly, emphasized how access to safe water has changed the lives of families.
“With the intervention of Water Mission, we now have safe water. The time that the women and children used to spend collecting water can now be spent on alternative activities that increase their standard of living.”
Safe water also means a better education for the children of Kinyongo. Just weeks after the tap stands were installed, attendance at the three schools in the community increased. Students were no longer absent from the classroom because they had to help their mothers carry home heavy buckets of water, or because they were sick due to drinking contaminated water.
The community celebrates the Kinyongo Safe Water Project commissioning ceremony in Kenya.[/caption]
In places like Kinyongo, safe water brings value that ripples throughout the community. Every dollar invested in water and sanitation provides $4.30 in economic return. Livelihoods improve, children receive an education, and families can break free from poverty.
Your partnership with Water Mission is creating lasting change for people like Oreni, Cecelia, Japheth, and Pastor Rosario in 57 countries around the world. Our teams are working with local churches and other partners to share God’s love and tell people about Jesus, the Living Water.
We want to hear from you! Share with others what God is doing through Water Mission and tell us what water means to you by posting on social media with the hashtag #water2me.
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