I thought it would be a good idea to highlight the work of Wateraid, so people have a better idea of where their donations will go.
VisionWaterAid’s vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.
MissionWaterAid transforms lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities. We work with partners and influence decision-makers to maximise our impact.
What we doWaterAid enables the world’s poorest people to gain access to safe water and sanitation. Together with improved hygiene, these basic human rights underpin health, education and livelihoods, forming the first essential step in overcoming poverty.
We work with local partners, who understand local issues, and provide them with the skills and support to help communities set up and manage practical and sustainable projects that meet their real needs.
We also work locally and internationally to change policy and practice and ensure that water, hygiene and sanitation’s vital role in reducing poverty is recognised.
Our values
InclusiveWaterAid aims to be inclusive in all that we do. We work with economically poor and marginalised people who often miss out such as women and girls, those living with HIV/AIDS, minority ethnic groups, older and disabled people and those who face discrimination. The needs and voices of the communities we work with, our staff, volunteers, partners and stakeholders shape our policy and practice.
Always learningAt WaterAid learning is central to our practice. We continually evolve to make sure that our work is sustainable, innovative, relevant and effective.
CollaborativeThe water and sanitation crisis will only be solved by collaborative action. Our engagement with other organisations, communities, staff and supporters underpins our success. We value their diversity.
AccountableWe believe that we should be accountable, responsive and transparent to those we serve and those who support us.
InspiringWaterAid is a passionate champion of the role safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation play in improving health and education and reducing poverty.
CourageousWe set ambitious goals, raise challenging questions and speak with courage and conviction. We are assertive yet humble and respectful.
History of Wateraid
In 1981 was the
Thirsty Third World Conference in the UK, organised by the Government's National Water Council to see how the UK water industry should respond to the UN 1981-1991 Decade of Drinking Water and Sanitation. In response, Wateraid were established as a charitable trust, raising £25k in the first year.
Throughout the 80s (while I spent my time watching Thundercats), projects in Sri Lanka and Zambia were the first to receive money from Wateraid.
Photos from one of the first Wateraid projects - you can tell it's ages ago because people don't seem to be in colour yet
In the 90s, Prince Charles became the first President of Wateraid, and is still actively involved to this day, and the charity also had a raised profile through having a Blue Peter appeal that raised £1.65m, becoming one of Glastonbury Festival's main charities and gaining an entry to the Guiness Book of Records.
Children in a hygeine education class
In 1993, Wateraid started their 1000th project, and by the end of the 90s had funded projects all across Africa and Asia.
The Millenium Development Goals, set at the World Summit of Sustainable Development in 2000, set 8 targets to to improve development through health, education, poverty and environmental sustainability. Wateraid campaigned for access to clean water & sanitation to be part of this, and among the targets set was an aspiration to half the proportion of people without access to clean water by 2015. By 2003, 7.5m people had better access to clean water, helping Wateraid to win 'UK Charity of the Year' in the Charity Times Awards. During this decade, Wateraid expanded the areas they operated in, reaching into Pacific countries such as Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea. And to top off a successful decade, the UN announced that the Millenium Development Goal on Safe Drinking Water had been met in 2010 - over 5 years early!
The UN report with this news also tempered the good news by stating that goals on Sanitation were 'a long way off', so work continues on this, and to keep improving access to clean water. However, by 2011 - Wateraid's 30th birthday - they had reached over 16 million people with safe water and 11 million people with sanitation, which is a phenomonal success story.
We are keen to support this progress, which is why we are doing the 6 peaks Challenge. If you want to know more about the work that Wateraid do, their website is here:
http://www.wateraid.org/uk
If you want to sponsor us, you can do so here:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/AndyLouden
