oasis autumn winter 2010

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The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010 Munem Wasif/Agence Vu for WaterAid. Cyclone Aila one year on Munem Wasif’s stunning images of life in Bangladesh after the disaster All inclusive How we strive to reach marginalised people with safe water and sanitation Barbara Frost interviews… Michael and Emily Eavis – to celebrate the 16-year partnership between WaterAid and Glastonbury Festival

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Oasis Autumn Winter 2010

TRANSCRIPT

The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

Mun

em W

asif/

Agen

ce V

u fo

r Wat

erAi

d.

Cyclone Aila one year onMunem Wasif’s stunning images of life in Bangladesh after the disaster

All inclusiveHow we strive to reach marginalised people with safe water and sanitation

Barbara Frost interviews…Michael and Emily Eavis – to celebrate the 16-year partnership between WaterAid and Glastonbury Festival

Welcome to the Autumn/Winter 2010 edition of Oasis. I’m delighted to introduce a magazine full of great stories about our work. We never forget that all of our activities are only possible because of your generous support – thank you.

On page 8 there is a round-up of your recent campaign successes, showing how you are putting pressure on politicians to act! On that note, please don’t forget to sign and return the enclosed Dig toilets, not graves petition card by 16 September to help WaterAid make an impact at the Millennium Development Goals summit.

On page 10 you can read my interview with Michael and Emily Eavis – the father and daughter team behind Glastonbury Festival – as we talk about the power of the festival to raise awareness of crucial issues like ours.

On page 14 we explain how we work with those who have been marginalised in certain communities: older people and disabled people in particular. We report on how our simple interventions have transformed people’s lives.

However you get involved, please remember that your support is vital. I hope you enjoy Oasis. We are always delighted to receive feedback, so do let us know what you think. And please pass it on when you’ve finished!

Barbara Frost Chief Executive

Oasis is published by WaterAid47–49 Durham Street, London, SE11 5JD, UK

T: +44 (0)20 7793 4594

Registered charity numbers 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland)

232 Madison Avenue, Suite 1202, New York, NY 10016, USA

T: + 1 (212) 683 0430 WaterAid America is a 501(c)(3)

nonprofit organisation

Private Bag 1, Mitcham, Victoria 3132, Australia

T: +61 (0)3 9872 1800 ABN 99 700 687 141

Box 2054, 103 12 Stockholm, Sweden

T: +46 (0)8 677 30 20Organisation number: 802426 – 1268

Editor: Tom Burgess. Design by: LCD.uk.com

WaterAid 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.

Cover image: Sondha collects clean water from a tap in Satkhira, Bangladesh. However, one year on from Cyclone Aila tens of thousands of people in the area are not so fortunate. Turn to page 16 to see more images from the region.

www.wateraid.org

WelcomeW

ater

Aid/

Abir

Abdu

llah

2 Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

4 News

6 Letters from supporters

8 Campaigning works A round-up of your campaigning successes.

10 Barbara Frost interviews… Michael and Emily Eavis – the team behind Glastonbury Festival.

12 Technology The composting latrine.

14 All inclusive Ensuring everyone has access to water and sanitation.

16 Cyclone Aila one year on Munem Wasif’s powerful images from a devastated region of Bangladesh.

18 A day in the life of… Anita Pradhan, Documentation Manager, WaterAid in Nepal.

20 Splash out! Our pages for teachers and youth workers.

22 Get involved Support us by running, singing, drinking, shopping…

Inside

8

10

1416

Mun

em W

asif/

Agen

ce V

u fo

r Wat

erAi

d.

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010 3

Wat

erA

id/C

arol

ine

Irby

D

avid

Par

ry/P

AW

ater

Aid

/Mar

co B

etti

News

Bangladesh film competition

The winning film, called Innocence: medium water colour, was produced by Al-Haseeb Nomanee, a student at Jahangirnagar University. His beautiful film looks at the quality of river water in Bangladesh through the eyes of a visiting child.

Innocence: medium water colour was shown on DeshTV to a potential audience of tens of millions of people, spreading the message about the importance of improving access to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) services.

Shafiq Rahman from our Bangladesh office said: “We received a really great response for the competition and received national coverage both in print and digital media. The media hype from both the competition and the programme will hopefully translate into a social movement towards prioritising WASH.”

We continue to work with DeshTV to train community journalists in WASH reporting.

Every day, 2,000 African children die from diarrhoea – deaths that are entirely preventable. In fact, nine out of ten cases of diarrhoea can be prevented by safe water and sanitation – proven cost-effective interventions. Despite this, today only four in ten Africans have access to a basic toilet.

At the time of going to press WaterAid was working with partner NGOs at the African Union (AU) Summit in Uganda. Together, our message to politicians was that failure to address the sanitation and water crisis will seriously undermine efforts towards reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.

The AU Summit is a crucial moment ahead of September’s UN Millennium Development Goals meeting. We are trying to ensure that water, sanitation and hygiene are featured strongly in discussions on child and maternal health, which in turn will influence what happens at the UN meeting. ••••Please see www.wateraid.org/ausummit for a full report on the African Union summit.

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

Diarrhoea is the biggest killer of children in Africa

4

WaterAid, in partnership with Bangladeshi television channel DeshTV, ran a competition called ‘Water for life’ for budding filmmakers to tell stories about how water affects people’s lives in Bangladesh...

putting more pressure on the UK Government ahead of the Millennium Development Goals summit in September. You can take action too – don’t forget to sign and return the enclosed Dig toilets, not graves petition card by 16 September.••••Read Barbara’s interview with organisers Michael and Emily Eavis on page 10.••••For all our news from Glastonbury go to www.wateraid.org/glasto

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales – and also WaterAid’s President! – joined in the welly shy with us at Glastonbury Festival in June.

The Prince spent time chatting to our Chief Executive Barbara Frost and meeting some of the charity’s 160 volunteers who helped keep the festival site litter-free, provided water to thirsty revellers and maintained the composting toilets in the King’s Meadow.

This was Glastonbury’s 40th anniversary year and WaterAid’s 16th at the event.

Festival-goers flocked to our stall to receive free tattoos and information about our work. Around 35,000 of them also signed our petition,

The Burkina Faso Government launched a campaign in June to construct 324,000 latrines across the country by 2015.

The campaign is the result of actions such as the World’s Longest Toilet Queue in March, which was attended by 8,000 people in Burkina Faso, including government ministers.

News

We are WaterAid Our stunning images by Magnum photographer Olivia Arthur were exhibited at St-Martin-in-the-Fields in London’s Trafalgar Square for six weeks over the summer. This is a first for WaterAid – reaching new audiences with powerful photos of the wider impacts of water and sanitation on poor communities in East Africa. View the pictures at www.wateraid.org/makingground

Radio 4 appeal Tune in to Radio 4 on Sunday 17 October 2010 at 7.55am to hear Jonathan Dimbleby broadcast an appeal on our behalf. We’re hoping this will raise awareness of our vital work among a huge national audience.

Annual Supporters’ Meeting If you would like to attend the Annual Supporters’ Meeting in London on Friday 15 October please call us on 0845 6000 433 for details. Also, look out for the Annual Report 2009/10 which will be published in October at www.wateraid.org/annualreport

News in briefA royal Glastonbury

Chris Meloy

WaterAid/Mark Pengelly

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010 5

Following the launch in June by President Blaise Compaoré, Inna Guenda, WaterAid’s Advocacy and Public Relations Officer in Burkina Faso, said: “The Head of State’s commitment is underpinned by the fact that sanitation impacts other sectors such as health, education, and development.”

Burkina Faso campaign to build 54,000 latrines a year

WaterAid/Olivia Arthur

Letters

The letters here are just a selection of the many enquiries received by our Supporter Care Team throughout the year.

Festival fun “I went to this year’s Glastonbury Festival and must say that your pristine latrines were a real luxury! Some of your volunteers were also giving out free water, which in the heat was another treat. I signed a petition at your stall and wanted to ask about the success of the campaign. I often wonder whether people are too busy dancing to sign these petitions!”Xavier Faux, London Oasis replies:Our volunteers at the festival will be delighted to hear that Xavier. WaterAid is one of three official charities at Glastonbury. By the end of the festivities, we had collected around 35,000 signatures on our petition calling on world leaders at the forthcoming Millennium Development Goals summit to not drop their promises and tackle the sanitation and water crisis.••••Sign the enclosed Dig toilets, not graves petition card and return by 16 September.••••Find out how and why campaigning works on page 8.••••Read Barbara Frost’s interview on page 10 with Michael and Emily Eavis – the team behind Glastonbury Festival – as we celebrate our 16-year partnership.

Photographing our projects“As a keen amateur photographer, your photos bring home to me the reality of the situation in the countries where you work. I have always found them to be compelling, whether positive or negative, and I think that is due in large part to the simplicity of the images. I notice from recent Oasis features that you are now taking more ‘artistic’ shots. The pictures are impressive but I’m not sure about this approach. Do you risk overcomplicating things?”Terry Edwin, Hertfordshire

Oasis replies:Photography is essential for telling the stories behind our work. Sometimes we need to get the message across simply and quickly, whereas on other occasions, like in exhibitions, we have more time to convey the wider impacts of our work on people’s lives. The message will always be very simple but there are many powerful ways of communicating that message.••••See Munem Wasif’s images from Bangladesh one year after Cyclone Aila on page 16.••••Go to www.wateraid.org/makingground to read about this year’s international photo exhibition Making Ground.

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 20106

LettersA technical matter“I have enjoyed looking at the technology pages in Oasis. The pictures help me understand how things work. I read a lot about latrines or water pumps but often find it difficult to visualise them. I appreciate that simple technology is cheap, but wouldn’t people benefit from more advanced solutions rather than things made out of scrap metal and the like?”Beatrice Shaw, Edinburgh

Oasis replies:Some of the technical solutions are indeed simple, and can often use locally-sourced materials like scrap metal, but they are proven to work. When we work with a community to decide on the best technology, we always ask whether it can be easily and cheaply maintained by local people. If the answer is yes, then it is likely to last long into the future.••••See page 12 to find out how a simple latrine can improve people’s health and nutrition.

Golden wedding“Thank you for helping my wife and me to arrange donations to WaterAid in lieu of gifts for our recent golden wedding anniversary. We contacted many charities when deciding who to support, but WaterAid came miles ahead with your personalised service. The information you have provided has been so useful. We are now going to write to our guests updating them on the total raised and also give examples of how this will help. Thanks to your team for helping to make our occasion even more special.”Peter Richards, Surrey

Oasis replies:Thank you Peter and congratulations! We are incredibly grateful to you and your wife for choosing to support us on such a special day. ••••For more information on supporting WaterAid in this way please contact our Supporter Care Team. ••••You can also set up a personalised gift list at www.wateraid.org/shopforlife where family and friends can buy virtual gifts in celebration of your special occasion.

WaterAid’s Supporter Care Team can be contacted at [email protected] or on 020 7793 4594.

Each copy of Oasis costs just 17p

to produce, plus P&P. It is printed on recycled paper and

mailed in a degradable wrapper. Please pass it on. If you would

like to help us keep costs down and receive Oasis by

email instead, please let us know.

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010 7

WaterAid came miles ahead with your personalised service.”

8 Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

Whether you’ve signed a petition, written to your MP or waved a placard, your voice is being heard loud and clear by decision-makers at the highest level. Thank you for making change happen. Read on to find out what you have achieved…

Campaigning works

Action:Over 60,000 of you told Prime Minister Gordon Brown the need to prioritise the crisis was as simple as child’s play and demanded he be a ‘sanitation champion’ ahead of the first ever High Level Meeting for Sanitation and Water in April 2010, and hundreds of you posed next to your toilet, holding up a message to him.

Result:Gordon Brown acknowledged your support: “It is important that we continue to take urgent action to provide improved water and sanitation to the billions of people that are without these basic services.”

Action:Thousands of you helped to form

‘The World’s Longest Toilet Queue’

on World Water Day in March.

The record-breaking global event

placed huge pressure on the

world’s politicians to take action

at the High Level Meeting for

Sanitation and Water.

Result:Ministers from 30 countries

agreed to the ‘Sanitation and

Water for All’ initiative, the

culmination of two years’ work

for WaterAid. This will ensure

more investment, better targeted

at those who need it most.

Dav

id P

arry

/PA

2008/2009

March 2010

9Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

Take action now!Diarrhoea kills 4,000 children every day in the world’s poorest countries. You can help stop it. We’ve launched a national campaign called Dig toilets, not graves to raise awareness and help make a difference. Join us and persuade the UK Government to make digging toilets a top priority. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will be attending the crucial forthcoming UN summit in New York and we need YOU to send him the enclosed postcard to ensure he supports our campaign.

Please sign and return it by 16 September and together we can help dig toilets, not graves in poor countries around the world.

To find out more and watch our new TV advert visit www.digtoilets.org

Action:In the first 100 days of the new coalition Government we have piled on the pressure. Many of you have signed a petition to Prime Minister David Cameron or written to your MP telling them to prioritise water and sanitation.

Result: Over 7,600 of you – and counting – have taken actions to date. We have already received a letter from International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell: “I agree with you that water and sanitation are the most basic of needs, and everyone should have access to these services.” Watch this space as we keep the pressure on the new Government!

Action:Ahead of the UK general election

we sent our very own manifesto

in a bottle to MPs and over 1,000

of you wrote to them to demand

the Government make tackling

the global water and sanitation

crisis a top priority.

Result:A real first! Promises to tackle the

crisis were made in all three

election manifestos! And a

commitment to water and

sanitation has since been

announced in the programme for

the new coalition Government.

April/May 2010

Summer 2010

10 Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

Wat

erAi

d/M

arco

Bet

ti

Michael and Emily Eavis

Barbara Frost interviews...

Barbara Frost, WaterAid’s Chief Executive, visited Michael and Emily Eavis at Worthy Farm to ask the father and daughter team about Glastonbury Festival and all things water and sanitation!

Emily, Michael and Barbara at Worthy Farm.

Michael and Emily Eavis are so relaxed that you could be forgiven

for forgetting that they are the driving force behind the world-famous Glastonbury Festival, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.

“I don’t really think about the 40 years, do you Emily?” asks Michael. “Well, no,” Emily replies, ”because I’ve only been around for 30 of them!”

Michael and Emily work closely on the festival and clearly share the same passion. “We’re obsessed with doing the best we possibly can,” says Michael.

To be part of such a phenomenon is a real honour. Glastonbury Festival has supported WaterAid for the last 16 years, and every year our team of volunteers provide pristine latrines, she-pee female urinals, clean water and lots of information to around 150,000 revellers. And with a TV audience of millions, the festival is an invaluable opportunity for us to promote our issues.

“Sanitation is such a basic need for everyone, you would have thought it would have a higher profile than it does,” says Emily. “Glastonbury is one of the only times it seems that people make that realisation on such a large scale.”

In fact, there is no better time to tell people about the global water and sanitation crisis than when they’re thirsty and trying to find a decent loo! This was

reflected in how many signatures we gathered for our petition during the festival this year: around 35,000! (It’s not too late to add your name, so please sign your enclosed petition card!).

The Eavises’ commitment to our work is really inspiring. Michael has been to Ghana and more recently to Mozambique with Emily in 2006 to see some of the work they funded.

“WaterAid is very direct and you can see where even a small amount of money goes,” says Emily. “It’s digestible for people. They can look and say ‘Oh yeah, that’s where my money goes’.”

Glastonbury Festival supports a lot of important causes, and like WaterAid is also a member of the international White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood.

During our wide-ranging conversation, you could see that

being involved in so many big causes and running such a huge event has not diminished their attention to detail.

At one point Michael said, “Out of the 400 taps we had this year at the festival, only one failed!”

I think we share that same ethos; that by taking care of the basics, you allow people to thrive and enjoy life.

For more information about the partnership between Glastonbury Festival and WaterAid since 1994 go to www.wateraid.org/glasto

11Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

WaterAid/Marco Betti

Barbara Frost interviews...

We’re obsessed with doing the best we possibly can”

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 201012

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Illustration by peter-mac.com

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010 13

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Allinclusive

Special report

Unclean water and poor sanitation are realities faced by millions worldwide. But for some the daily struggle is even harder, reports Alison Gentleman.

Imagine waking every morning knowing you will have to walk miles to collect water and

find somewhere secluded to go to the toilet. Now imagine you are an older person, you have a disability or a chronic illness. A terrible hardship now becomes a physical impossibility.

When new latrines are built and water points installed, some vulnerable people can be left out. So, we work closely with our partners, talking to everyone about their different needs. Something as simple as lowering the height of a tapstand or raising a latrine can transform dependence into self-reliance.

Through being equitable and inclusive, we are one step closer to achieving our vision of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.

14 Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

Dolatia Namoudu – Uganda

Steep, rocky paths become slippery in the rainy season and collecting water is hard. Dolatia Namoudu is 75 and was unable to collect water for herself, instead relying on her son. Now, a rainwater harvesting jar gives Dolatia water close to home. “I felt very reliant on other people and didn’t like to be a burden. Now I have independence.”

Wat

erA

id/C

arol

ine

Irby

I felt very reliant on other people and didn’t like to be a burden. Now I have independence.”

15Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

Did you know?

• One in five of the world’s poorest people are disabled or have a disabled family member. (World Bank)

• Between 40-60% of older people in the poorest countries are unserved by improved sanitation and water. (WHO)

• 64% of the world’s population over the age of 60 live in less developed countries. By 2050 this figure will be 80%. (HelpAge International)

Amihata Coulibaly – Mali

Eighty five year old Amihata Coulibaly contracted river blindness in 2001. In her community people who are blind are often marginalised. She says “I am dependent on the other community members. Can you imagine if you used to carry out all this work and then you can’t? It is very painful.” Amihata has now joined a local support group for people who are blind and life is starting to improve.

Hari Bahadur Sapkota – Nepal

Hari Bahadur Sapkota has paralysis in both legs. He has been married three times and says his disability was one of the main reasons his wives left him. To use the latrine he had to crawl on the dirty floor. With the simple addition of a commode over the pan and improved hygiene practices, Hari’s life has changed. He is no longer stigmatised and is now responsible for cooking for his whole family.

Special reportFind out more about our work in this area at www.wateraid.org/inclusion

Wat

erA

id/A

nita

Pra

dhan

Wat

erA

id/C

arol

ine

Irby

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 201016

Cyclone Aila one year on

Mokshed Ali Molla, 70, drinks water from a tubewell constructed with the help of WaterAid. Before this, the nearest safe water supply was 12 kilometres away.

Kishori, here with her two month old daughter, doesn’t know how she’s going to feed her children. Last year her husband Hiru, a farmer, took out a loan but due to crop failure is unable to make his repayments and the owner of the paddy field has filed a case against him.

At the time the cyclone hit, nine year old Jesmin was living at her grandmother’s house and fell seriously ill with diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is the second biggest killer of children under five worldwide but in most cases it can be prevented simply and cost-effectively by improving access to clean water and sanitation.

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010 17

On 25 May 2010, a year to the day since Cyclone Aila struck Bangladesh, award-winning photographer Munem Wasif travelled back to the devastated Satkhira region to visit communities he had documented before the disaster. More than 200,000 people remain homeless and many are still suffering from an acute scarcity of safe drinking water and destroyed sanitation facilities. To see more of Munem Wasif’s images visit www.wateraid.org/wasif

Sondha collects clean water from a water point provided by WaterAid and our local partner Sushilan.

Sonia is now able to collect clean water two to three times a day. She lost her two month old daughter Runa when the cyclone tragically washed her from her lap.

Workers construct a government-funded toilet in Gabura, the area worst afflicted by the cyclone. Improving sanitation not only improves health, but also people’s dignity and livelihoods.

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diseases is very meaningful to me. After lunch (usually vegetable

noodle or momo dumpling, and some seasonal fruit) I quickly go through the newspapers and magazines we’ve subscribed to in our resource centre and check emails.

I generally go home at 7pm as I want to avoid the traffic and pollution during rush hour. I feel energetic after 5pm and I complete all those tasks which require more attention within these two hours.

My role is never boring but sometimes very hectic. I would say it is a versatile job and suits my multi-tasking nature!

On the way back home from work I do not forget to visit the orphanage I’ve been volunteering with support on kids’ education. Then I maybe watch TV with dinner, chat with long distance friends on the net and read a book before I go to bed.

I wake up at 5am and go for a morning walk

up a steep hill to a reach a yoga venue surrounded by pine trees – a great source of oxygen! I am back home by 7am.

I’m so fond of radio in the morning hour. So, for breakfast I take beaten wheat with honey and homemade curd as I listen to a few different radio stations in local languages and the BBC World Service. I think generally women are multi-tasking by nature and so am I!

I then check whether there is water to take a bath. Water problems are very common in Kathmandu.

I get ready for work by 8.30am. I reach the office in 20 minutes riding my motorbike. I’ve been riding one for the past 18 years!

As a communications person I work across different teams to produce learning documents as well as campaign materials. I work with our partners and communities to collect case studies – the people’s voices – to show the impact of our work.

Every week we produce and broadcast radio programmes about WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) issues throughout the country. Promoting these issues in the media is very effective in making change happen.

Developing the programmes makes me mentally engaged all the time. I have to work hard

A day in the life of...Anita Pradhan is WaterAid’s Documentation Manager in Nepal and lives in Kathmandu. Here she describes a typical day…

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

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finding speakers who can challenge decision makers.

While Nepal has tremendous water resources, lack of safe water and sanitation is a huge problem. Behaviour change and creating demand for safe water, sanitation and improved hygiene is also challenging.

Almost half of Nepal’s population practise open defecation. This has serious health implications as 10,500

Nepalese children before they reach age five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases.

Providing socially-excluded people with water and sanitation services, which in fact is a fundamental human right of any citizen in any country, and saving lives from easily preventable

Working at a campaign event in Kathmandu.

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Nepal

Kathmandu

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

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My role is never boring but sometimes very hectic. I would say it is a versatile job and suits my multi-tasking nature!”

In Nepal:• Last year we reached 38,000

people with safe water and 33,000 with sanitation.

• Over 10,000 children die every year from entirely preventable diarrhoeal diseases.

• It costs just over £1,000 to build a school sanitation block for around 200 children.

Anita setting off for work on her motorbike – she’s been

riding one for 18 years!

Blue areas indicate where WaterAid works.

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 201020

We have recently launched new primary and secondary modules on the Learn zone on our website, covering hand-washing (primary) and human rights

and sanitation (secondary). With lesson plans, resources, film and photos, the modules really bring the topics to life and are perfect for PSHE, geography and citizenship lessons. Download for free from www.wateraid.org/learnzone

WaterAid needs yoU!We are looking for willing and enthusiastic teachers and young people (up to the age of 16) to sit on our teacher and youth panels. Those selected will have the opportunity to be consulted on what they think WaterAid should do for and with teachers, schools and young people. If you are interested in being part of this exciting new development, please contact Maria Inglis at [email protected]

If you have any unusual ideas for supporting WaterAid, let us know by emailing [email protected]

WaterAid’s youth work section

Splash out!

New teaching modules

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Global Handwashing Day

Global Handwashing Day lathers up on

15 October 2010 to create a global culture of

hand-washing with soap. WaterAid will be

contributing to a primary schools resource

pack which will be available to download from

the Global Handwashing Day website.

Visit www.globalhandwashingday.org.uk

for more information.

The pack will include details of WaterAid’s ‘Blue

Hand Game’. Played by children around the world

to learn how quickly germs can spread if you

don’t wash your hands, it simply involves playing

catch with a ball covered in blue powder. Find out

more at www.wateraid.org/splashout

21Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

Where: Uganda is on the northern shore of the famous Lake Victoria in East Africa. Population: There are around 30.6 million people living in Uganda. Neighbours: Uganda is landlocked between Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Water fact: Uganda is very poor with just 36% of the population living with access to safe drinking water. Toilet fact: Only 33% of the population have a safe place to go to the toilet.

Kenya

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Tanzania

Sudan

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Rwanda

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Lake Victoria

Lake Albert

Fact box: Uganda

Alex Bonner: UK

Money doesn’t grow on trees, it grows on geraniums! Young supporter Alex Bonner has been using his green fingers to raise funds by growing and selling geraniums

outside his home in Portsmouth.

After realising how lucky he was to

have safe water at the turn of a tap, he

decided to put his gardening skills to

good use and plans to raise more money

for WaterAid throughout the summer.

Brian Sentongo: Uganda

Nine year old Brian Sentongo lives in Mpigi, Nsasa, Uganda. We worked with our partner the Busoga Trust to set up a safe water source close to people’s homes and advised on the construction of latrines. The Busoga Trust also run hygiene education classes to inform people about the benefits of hand-washing to reduce illness in the community. Brian describes life before and after this work took place.

“We used to collect water from the old source which is a kilometre away from our village. We would always feel sick when we drank this water and it contained many worms. We would get diarrhoea from it all the time. Now there is no need to boil the water from the new source, it is clean. Also we do not reach school late any more because the new source is closer to our home. We can collect water three times a day from this new source.”

Young people

in focus

Blue areas indicate where WaterAid works.

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Get involvedDates for 2010/2011

Back to school September 2010 Check out our new resources and encourage your local school to get involved by choosing us as their Charity of the Year and helping us to put the spotlight on water! www.wateraid.org/schools

Coast Along for WaterAid11 September 2010Walk one or more of 187 sections of beautiful coast path around the country. Paths are between four and 15 miles in length, and are graded easy, moderate, strenuous and severe. www.coastalongforwateraid.org

Big National Ceilidh16 October 2010Dance for water by taking part in WaterAid’s Big National Ceilidh 2010.

Brighton Half Marathon and full MarathonFebruary 2011 (date TBC) and 10 April 2011Take in the sights and sounds of the seaside on this flat, fast course and be part of the UK’s fastest growing marathon.

Virgin London Marathon17 April 2011Run 26.2 miles for WaterAid in one of the world’s most famous marathons. Ballot runners should sign up fast!

BUPA London 10,00030 May 2011Join the WaterAid team in this 10k race around London’s most famous landmarks – the route incorporates part of the 2012 Olympic Marathon route. www.wateraid.org/london10k

WaterAid 6 Peaks Challenge Friday 1 July to Monday 4 July 201150 miles to walk, 20,000 feet to ascend, 1,000 miles to drive and two sea crossings…all within 72 hours! Are you brave enough? Team registration closes 31 March 2011. www.wateraidsixpeakschallenge.org.uk

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 201022

Volunteers neededCome along and help at WaterAid events. We are always looking for volunteers to help cheer and support our teams. Call 020 7793 2232 or email [email protected] for more details.

This harvest, give water, give lifePlease encourage your local church or community to support WaterAid this harvest time. For more information, or to order your free fundraising resources please call 020 7793 4563 or email [email protected]

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For more information on

our events please visit www.wateraid.org/getinvolved or call us on 020 7793 4594 unless otherwise stated.

Taste for LifeHold a food event with friends and family for Taste for Life and raise funds for WaterAid’s vital work. From a spooky Halloween feast, to an evening of cocktails, just ask your guests to show their appreciation by making a donation. Contact us at [email protected]

Get involvedTap into WaterAid

Pub and bar industry newspaper The Publican aims to raise £50,000 through the Tap into WaterAid scheme. All drinking establishments must now provide free tap water, so The Publican is calling on its readers to

ask for voluntary donations of 15p to WaterAid in return for tap water.

Over 300 establishments are taking part. Stuart Wraith, of the Fools Nook pub in Macclesfield (pictured), said: “This is a good chance to help people who don’t have clean water on tap. I truly hope all UK pubs unite and show what a positive difference we can have.” Get your local involved! Visit www.tapintowateraid.org/thepublican for more details.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid Premier Inn team members and guests are raising £1 million for WaterAid’s work in India, so why not support us as you sleep and stay at a Premier Inn! Guests booking online can make an optional 20p donation to WaterAid.

Get active in your community Local WaterAid groups up and down the country are getting together to raise funds and awareness for WaterAid’s work. To find out how to join or set up a group in your area please email [email protected] or call the Community Team on 020 7793 2249.

Join our Speaker Network We will soon be looking for new volunteer speakers to join our Speaker Network in some areas of the country. If you are interested in getting involved visit www.wateraid.org/speakers or call us on 020 7793 4988.

Christmassy creations are now on sale! Young supporters Rosie and Azziza’s designs are sure to bring some festive cheer to your friends and family. Buy them early from the enclosed catalogue or at www.wateraid.org/shopforlife

Paperchase, Waterstone’s and Woodmansterne Publications will also be selling fantastic cards for WaterAid. For more information about these and personalised Christmas cards, visit www.wateraid.org/corporatechristmas

Oasis The WaterAid Journal Autumn/Winter 2010

on the high street

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Please send me further information on this important way of giving.

Please contact me about this way of giving.

If there is anything else you’d like to tell us please do so below.

For more information on this important way of giving, please complete this form and return to me in the envelope provided: Freepost RRRZ-YRRB-ELKE, WaterAid, MELKSHAM, SN12 6YY.

Your wonderful support has helped us reach almost 24 million people since 1981 with life-saving water and sanitation. That’s millions of communities with brighter, healthier futures.

Our work cannot stop until we realise our vision of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. With our passionately dedicated staff and partners we are transforming lives every single day with simple, sustainable solutions. The benefits of our essential work will be passed down from generation to generation.

And that’s why I hope you will consider a gift to WaterAid in your Will. Perhaps over the following weeks, months or even years you can decide if this would be appropriate for you. I realise that this is a personal matter and I would like to offer you some further information to help you decide.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for taking the time to consider my request.

Dominique Abranson Supporter Care TeamT: 020 7793 4594 E: [email protected]/legacy

A gift that will never be forgotten

10/O2Registered charity numbers 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland)

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Having just become a father I wanted to ensure that other children will have the opportunities my daughter will have. A gift in my will to WaterAid, however small, will not only bring safe clean water to communities, it will bring education, health and prosperity to families, and a brighter future for children across Africa and Asia.”Neil Clements, WaterAid supporter