oasis autumn winter 2012 (version 2)

Your WaterAid magazineAutumn/Winter 2012

Water Works!Your campaigning took Washington DC by storm

The Big DigLive from Malawi – your money changing lives

Nepal updateYour support is already changing lives

Welcome to Oasis

This edition is all about making a difference. Your campaigning this year did just that: the UK Government promised to double the numbers of people it will reach with safe water and sanitation! And this summer communities in Malawi are blogging – live – with photos and films to show how your support is transforming their lives. See what’s happening right now at thebigdig.org

Barbara FrostChief Executive

Edited by Tom BurgessDesigned by Progression (progressiondesign.co.uk)

WaterAid transforms lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.

WaterAid47-49 Durham StreetLondon, SE11 5JDT: 020 7793 4594

Registered charity numbers 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland)Cover image: The Statue of Liberty joins the cause! This picture was created to grab attention online and in the media. Find out more on page 4. (WaterAid/Cameron Davidson/Corbis)

supporter,Dear WaterAid

Save paper, save money

Each copy of Oasis costs 11p to produce plus P&P. Sign up to get Oasis by email at supportercare

@wateraid.org

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2 Oasis Autumn/Winter 2012

www.progressiondesign.co.uk

4 Water Works campaign success

8 The Big Dig10 Special update: Nepal12 HSBC Water Programme14 Meet The Big Dig

community from Malawi16 Technology:

Borehole drilling rig18 Get involved

Contents

Mali unrest

Fierce fighting and political unrest has displaced over

15,000 people in recent months. Conditions in makeshift camps are likely to deteriorate in the rainy season, leading to an increase in

diarrhoeal diseases. WaterAid has been

helping distribute safe water, hygiene and sanitation kits to those affected.

Ringo Starr officially opened our garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea

Flower Show. The garden was sponsored by international law firm Herbert Smith, and went on to win the silver award. Celebrities such as Ricky Gervais and John Hurt had a go on the handpump, adding some stardust to our simple technology!

Where your money goes

In every £1, we spend 23p on fundraising and governance, and 77p on delivering services and influencing decision-

makers.

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For news, films and to have your say, find us on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Amadou Haidera, seven, waits in line at the water station during a water cut, Bamako, Mali (March 2011)

Chelsea Flower Show

WaterAid’s garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

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3Oasis Autumn/Winter 2012

Campaigns

I am so excited by the commitments made in Washington and the determination of world leaders to

take action to end the water and sanitation crisis. People really want to create change and I am delighted that the UK Government is leading the way, pledging to double the number of

people it reaches with safe water and sanitation to 60 million by 2015.The UK commitment is one part of the huge global movement to invest in water and sanitation for all. This incredible result simply wouldn’t have happened without your support. Turn over to read more.

Water Works campaign: What a result!In April, we took our global Water Works campaign to the Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting in Washington DC. Our Chief Executive Barbara Frost reflects on the extraordinary outcomes from the meeting.

← Meeting US Aid Administrator Rav Shah (second left) with my WaterAid colleagues.

We received support from across the globe – including the Statue of Liberty! →

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The UK Government has pledged to double the number of people it reaches with safe water and sanitation to 60 million by 2015.

We intend to double the commitment on water and sanitation that we made last year.

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Your reaction“A truly wonderful result and let’s now hope for the action as soon as possible. It’s time we all realised that provision of safe water and sanitation is absolutely vital to lifting

people out of poverty.”Gwen Turn over to

read more →

Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell outlined the UK Government’s commitment in a letter to MPs.

Many of us have been contacted by our constituents on this important issue

...over the lifetime of this Parliament we will reach more than 60 million people...


Campaigns

Thanks to the thousands of you who contacted your MPs on World Toilet Day in November,

Andrew Mitchell, the Secretary of State for International Development, was encouraged to attend the meeting in Washington and make the UK’s pledge.

Your response to our call to action in the last issue of Oasis was incredible. Almost 10,000 of you sent in postcards, each with your own version of our very simple

message: Water Works. I know that your actions – together with those from supporters across the world – inspired the Secretary of State and other key decision-makers to commit to change. Our next step is to ensure world leaders keep to the promises made at the meeting. There’s a long road ahead but, by continuing to support our campaign work, you can make sure that these commitments turn into decisive action. Let me say a huge thank you once again from me and all the team.

Water Works campaign: Your support made the difference

← Handing over your photos and messages to Andrew Mitchell before the meeting.

Our Campaigns Team take your messages to the Department for International Development. →

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For an exclusive interview with Secretary of State Andrew Mitchell, and videos and blogs from the meeting visit www.wateraid.org/waterworks

How you inspired world leaders:

“You have the power to transform

the lives of millions of vulnerable people.

Please do so.” Loraine

“It’s time for our governments to

make taps and toilets an urgent priority. They are

cheap, effective and simple – and they save

innocent lives.” Raymond

Online actions

Photo messages

Postcard messages


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The Big Dig Appeal

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On my first visit to Malawi in April this year, I asked Howard (pictured) what his ambitions

for the future were. When I asked this question he looked puzzled and took some time to respond.

Thinking about your future in a place like Bokola wasn’t something people really did. As in so many other poor communities across Malawi, life is generally all about the here and now.

I could see right away what an incredible difference hygiene education, decent sanitation and safe water would make to every individual in this community. So when WaterAid launched The Big Dig Appeal in June, aiming to reach 134,000 people across Malawi, we decided to follow the story of Howard’s village, Bokola, and neighbouring Kaniche on thebigdig.org

It’s so important that you, our supporters,

Angharad McKenzie, from WaterAid’s fundraising team, discusses the life-changing work you are making possible in Malawi.

understand the incredible difference your gifts make. If you’ve already visited thebigdig.org I’m sure you’ll agree the transformation is just amazing. Now dotted across the villages are bright yellow ‘tippy-tap’ hand-washing facilities, racks to keep cooking utensils clean, and hygiene messages painted on walls.

Today, every family has a latrine, preventing waste from contaminating water sources, and so helping to stop the spread of deadly diseases. There is privacy and dignity now, and because the toilets are composting latrines, they have free fertiliser too!

After a summer of hard work, The Big Dig is entering its final phase.

Very soon, water will come gushing from the ground in Bokola and Kaniche and I hope you will join us at thebigdig.org as we bring these communities

safe, clean water for the first time.

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Join us at thebigdig.org and see the work happening live.

See how we dig boreholes on page 16 and meet more people

from Bokola and Kaniche on page 14

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www.thebigdig.org

Change gains a footholdFollowing our report in the last edition of Oasis, life for families is suddenly beginning to change in the mountainous district of Sindhuli, Nepal, thanks to your support. Meriel Armson, our Special Projects Manager, shares some of the incredible progress being made.

Jit Bahadur Shrestha is a father of five. It was clear that life was incredibly tough for his family,

and their water source was the worst we saw earlier this year. Personally I found Jit’s story heartbreaking – here was a desperately poor man who was facing a horrendous daily struggle to care for his family.

The wonderful news is that gravity flow systems have been constructed in Jit’s village, piping safe, clean water straight from its source to a series of tapstands. Dangerous journeys to collect dirty water from the nearest stream are now a thing of the past. Jit told our team: “Now we have

access to clean drinking water and have learned to live a healthy life. The improved situation has enhanced our confidence and now we are sure not to lose our children as we had lost our parents. Now my children shall never fall sick due to waterborne diseases.”

In fact, every single person in Jit’s region now has clean water and a proper toilet – that’s 3,185 people who can now embrace the future with new hope. This is only the second region in the whole of Nepal to achieve 100% water and sanitation coverage – an achievement our team in Nepal are very proud of, and one which simply wouldn’t have been possible without your support.

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Special update: Nepal


“Every single person in Jit’s region now has clean water and a proper toilet – that’s 3,185 people who can now embrace the future with new hope.”

I’m also delighted to report that thanks to your kindness, project work is now well underway in neighbouring Tosramkhola. Huge steps have already been made to improve sanitation, with every household building a latrine.

And once the rainy season is over in October, construction will start on gravity flow systems, bringing villagers clean, safe water for the first time in their lives.

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Jit’s oldest daughter Sarita (pictured) describes the impact the project has had on their lives:

“Before, we used to be absent for several days in school due to sickness. But now we are regular in school and able to read properly, thus improving our education.”

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All funds raised from the recent WaterAid200

Mountain Challenge will support projects

in Nepal.


HSBC Water Programme

Investing in lives and livelihoods

The transformation of the neighbourhood is remarkable. Before, the 3,600 residents

had to fight over the one tanker of water that arrived each day. Now, after working closely with the community and Delhi’s water board, our local partner has rehabilitated the community borehole well, built an overhead storage tank and piped water system, with taps every 50 metres throughout the settlement. Sewer lines, drains and household toilets have also been constructed.

Inspired by the transformation in poor communities like Dalit Eka, HSBC launched a new Water Programme in

June this year, investing $25 million in WaterAid over the next five years to support our vital safe water, sanitation and hygiene projects.

The programme will fund our work across South Asia in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal, and in West Africa in Ghana and Nigeria. With HSBC’s support, WaterAid will reach an amazing 1.1 million people with safe water and 1.9 million people with sanitation and hygiene.

HSBC is also supporting the work of WWF and Earthwatch to ensure that key river basins are managed properly and vital ecosystems are protected. We are

“Speaking to the community they aren’t feeling a shortage anymore,” says Naina Lal Kidwai, Country Head of HSBC in India, as she visits a WaterAid project in Dalit Eka in central Delhi. “They’re careful with the water. A family might need five, six buckets at a minimum, and they’re getting that.”

With HSBC’s support, WaterAid will reach 1.1 million

people with safe water and 1.9 million people

with sanitation and hygiene.


working together because we know that water is vital to building healthy communities and developing national economies.

“HSBC’s support to WaterAid is going to be vital to ensuring that the good work that WaterAid does continues,” Naina adds. “It is the only way that poor people can come out of poverty; without water they can’t even begin to think about the other aspects of life: about employment, about sending their children to school, about hygiene and health. All of that becomes important as they look to advance and build their way out of poverty.”

To find out more about the HSBC Water Programme, and watch the film of Naina Lal Kidwai’s visit to Dalit Eka with WaterAid, go to www.thewaterhub.org/wateraid

With HSBC’s support, WaterAid will work in six tea garden areas in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Monica Nayak (centre), a tea picker in Burjan Tea Garden, now has access to safe water and promotes hygiene education in her community. She says: “Clean water means life will be happier for our child and for me and for our community. I see my child is much happier and I hope this will grow day by day. Water is our life; it is very, very important for us.”

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Naina in Dalit Eka making a film of her experiences – available at the link above.


The Big Dig Appeal: Meet the people

Let us introduce you to some of the 134,000 people across Malawi whose lives you’re helping to change forever through The Big Dig.

2 Mr Khombe was the first to build a new latrine using the method shown to him by WaterAid. “I am a proud member of Kaniche village. I will do what I can to ensure this village is safe from disease.”

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1 Grace Rabson is 62. Dysentery has made her very frail. She makes the hazardous journey to the scoop hole on her own every single day. “I know this water is not safe, but we have no option.”


See how Grace, Mr Khombe and Janet’s lives are changing every day – go to thebigdig.org

3 Janet’s four year old son died last year of cholera. “If we had clean water that would change the lives of my children. There would be no more dying of these diseases.”

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www.thebigdig.org

Technology

In areas where there is very hard rock or water needs to be collected from a greater depth, our partners use technologies such as boreholes.

Hydraulic pumps and rock drills are used to cut through the earth to depths of 100m or more.

Water is pumped to the surface either by hand or, where there is a high demand, using diesel or electric engines. The water is usually stored in large tanks before being piped to tapstands in surrounding villages.

Borehole drilling rigA hydraulic pump powers the drill’s rotary mechanism.

Compressed air drives the ‘down-the-hole-hammer’ to pulverise the rock.

Dust and cuttings are flushed out of the borehole by compressed air.

The drill rotates at 10-30rpm to ensure that the borehole is straight.

“We used to draw water from the Mdwere River. When we drank the water we had stomach problems like diarrhoea, especially during the rainy season. When the clean water was switched on we were very happy and amazed that our problems were solved! Everyone in the village uses the borehole and water is available throughout the year.”

Rose Mwale carries water from a handpump fitted to a borehole well, Salima District, Malawi.

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£88 could pay to dig and

lay a kilometre of pipes. Go to

www.wateraid.org/donate

To download free posters of the technologies we use, go to www.wateraid.org/technology

Illustration by peter-mac.com


www.wateraid.org/donate

Get involved

Choose Belu waterNext time you are buying bottled water choose Belu and transform lives – the UK’s most ethical water brand is giving every penny of its profits to WaterAid!

An environmentally friendly choice, Belu is the UK’s first carbon neutral bottled water brand, refusing to import materials or export its bottles.

Belu water is available in a recycled glass bottle in restaurants and cafés including Zizzi, Café Rouge, Strada,

Las Iguanas, Hard Rock Café and Leon, and can also be bought in Sainsbury’s in an innovative recycled plastic bottle.

Belu has already raised almost £200,000 for WaterAid through sales of its water, which will help us reach around 13,000 people with safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation!

So, if you’re buying bottled water, choose Belu. And remember, 100% of the profits go to WaterAid!

www.belu.org

ChristmascardsSupport WaterAid this Christmas with our range of cards available at Waterstones, Paperchase, selected branches of Waitrose, John Lewis, Cards Galore and WHSmith, or at www.amazon.co.uk

Join our network of inspiring volunteer speakers and help change minds and transform lives!Email: [email protected] Call: 020 7793 4988

Speak out!


27 May

BUPA 10,000Join us for a running tour of London that takes in Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye. Email: [email protected] Call: 020 7793 2232

Get your school or youth group involved in WaterAid’s Big Collection and learn about children in Rwanda – see enclosed leaflet. Call: 020 7793 2232Email: [email protected] Visit: www.wateraid.org/thebigcollection

We need you! Come along and help at WaterAid events! We are always looking for volunteers to cheer on and support our teams. Call 020 7793 2232 or email [email protected] for information.

21 April

Virgin London Marathon Join our team for the greatest marathon in the world and we’ll support you every step of the way.Email: [email protected] Call: 020 7793 2232

17 February/14 AprilBrighton Half Marathon/MarathonGet some sea air and blow away the post-Christmas blues with the Brighton Half Marathon. Or for a more

challenging run take on the full 26 miles and 385 yards in April.

Email: [email protected] Call: 020 7793 2232

15 SeptemberCoast Along for WaterAidJoin one of our coastal path group walks and raise vital funds for Malawi. Email: [email protected]

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Thank you Whitbread!

Since June 2009 Whitbread employees

have raised £1.35 million for our work in India.

Thank you so much for your amazing

support!


www.wateraid.org/thebigcollection

Dave

Meet the communityHere are a few of the people in rural Malawi whose lives you can change by joining The Big Dig. Watch amazing things happen at thebigdig.org

Grace

JanetMary

Rolena Lameke

Awena Howard

All images WaterAid/Kate Holt

www.thebigdig.org

oasis autumn winter 2012 (version 2)

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