Objective: To improve the health and well-being of rural communities in Ghana, Mali, Niger, and through the provision of water, sanitation, and related services to about 450,000 people in the three countries.

Commitment: World Vision announces the expansion of the West Africa Water Initiative, a 14-member public-private partnership, to give corporations an opportunity to engage in increasing access to water, sanitation, and health facilities in Ghana, Mali, and Niger for a total financial investment of $20 million over the next five years (through 2010).

Background: Contaminated water, combined with poor sanitation and health practices, is largely responsible for illnesses that kill 3.4 million people each year. A child dies every 15 seconds from a preventable, water-related disease. Most of these children are younger than 5, and a majority—80 percent—are younger than 2. Approximately 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. Sub-Saharan Africa has the least coverage—about 58 percent. Approximately 2.6 billion people have inadequate or nonexistent access to proper sanitation. Eighty-eight percent of sickness among children worldwide is caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.

Adequate quantities of safe water, appropriate sanitation facilities, and good hygiene practices are necessary for healthy living. Health is the cornerstone of a self-sustaining livelihood. Without good health, parents cannot farm or work to feed themselves and their children. Millions of hours are lost annually in Africa because women and children must travel miles daily to collect and haul water for home use. These lost hours could be more productively spent on education, agricultural production, and other economic pursuits.

Partnership Opportunity: Word Vision welcomes support from corporate sources to meet its funding goals for this Initiative.

Update:
December 2005:
To date, World Vision has raised $7.1 million for its West Africa Water Initiative out of the $20 million it has pledged for, over the next 5 years.

January/February 2006:
To date, the World Vision water initiative has provided 63 wells in 36 villages, thus benefiting approximately 22,500 individuals in Ghana, Mali, and Niger. In addition to the boreholes that were drilled, commensurate sanitation efforts have taken place in developing latrines. Further activities include:
1. Testing the quality of the water and seeing that water standards are being met.
2. Enhancing subsistence farming through the growth of gardens, supplementing income and generating other new economic development activities.

March 2006:
A trip to Ghana, Niger and Mali has taken place, focusing on continued expansion of the interest level and funding-base for the West Africa Water Initiative; viewing work already completed from current funding and exploring/expanding current activities; as well as filming a video for further fundraising opportunities.
To date, the project has raised $9.6 million, out of the necessary $20 million over the next 5 years.