Clean water

Water-related diseases kill millions each year

Diarrhoea kills more children every year than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

The world has met the Millennium Development Goal target of halving the proportion of people without access to improved sources of water. But nearly one in 8 people worldwide still do not have access to clean water.

Providing clean water

As well as providing clean water in emergencies, CARE works to improve water supply, sanitation and hygiene to stop the spread of diseases in vulnerable communities worldwide.

Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti CARE provided people with water purification kits capable of making even the dirtiest water safe to drink. We also installed temporary water tanks distributing 10,000 litres of water which were regularly refilled.

Together with local communities we build and maintain wells, boreholes and latrines in their villages. It’s a joint effort – CARE provides training and construction materials while the communities contribute labour and pay for operation and maintenance costs.

CARE also works with farmers to provide irrigation systems for farms and water conservation projects.

Walk In Her Shoes

The goal of these projects is to reduce the health risks of water-related diseases and reduce the time women and girls need to fetch water from distant sources.

In my community, women have to walk 12 km each way to get water. There is always a line and it takes two to three hours to fill all my jerry cans, lifting buckets out of the borehole. – Zenaba Abderrahaman, Chad

In the world’s poorest countries, this daily task prevents women and girls from going to work or school, and means they can’t fulfil their potential.

Every year, CARE runs the Walk In Her Shoes challenge. Find out more about how you can help improve access to water in some of the world’s poorest countries, giving women and girls the opportunity for a better future.