While you’re likely accustomed to turning on any faucet in the house and getting mostly clean, drinkable water, such is not the case in most international countries around the world—and even in some parts of the U.S. The problem is growing, with nearly 350 million in Africa alone without access to clean water, and 3.4 million people dying each year due to unsanitary water or no access to water. Luckily there are charitable organizations forming to help solve this water crisis. They provide filtering systems, dig and drill wells, and create gravitational systems that bring safe water to communities who need it most. Below are a few of the top charities that work diligently to provide water in communities where they need it most.
Charity: Water
Charity: Water works in several nations—in specific communities who need clean water most—and they rely on several systems like well digging and natural water development to solve sanitation problems. They’re not just a charity that provides clean water (like bottled water or corporate distribution systems), but they work with communities and other charities to ensure the communities will have continued access to water. They look for sustainable growth.
The Water Project
Working specifically to provide clean water to sub-Sahara Africa, The Water Project unites organizations and project-leaders to find water solutions. Their staff works both in those communities and in the U.S. to generate funds and develop innovative projects. In just Sierra Leone they’ve organized over 120 projects, and they’ve fostered hundreds more in the sub-Sahara African region.
Water.org
Rather than just being a charity organization, Water.org’s mission is to combine all innovative ideas and organizations to work together to solve the world’s water and sanitation problems. With helpful stats on their website about the seriousness of water shortage and sanitation problems, they can both speak to the individual who wants to help as well as to larger—and even corporate—organizations to work together.
Water.org photo by water.org is licensed under CC BY 2.0
TOMS & Water For People
You might be familiar with the non-profit organization, TOMS, who sells sustainable footwear. When you buy a pair of TOMS, the organization promises to provide one person in poverty with a pair of shoes. Now, however, they’ve created a coffee line—and with the proceeds from the coffee, they’ll be working with the charity Water For People to help provide rain storage tanks and other developments to provide clean water in impoverished areas. This is a great example of how, with so many different water charities, the running theme is collaboration, working with other organizations to ensure that the most efficient, non-competitive results can be achieved.
Water For People
Water For People’s mission is to ensure that everyone in the world has access to water—“forever,” according to their mission statement. They want to ensure that nations can eventually develop their own governments and organizations to provide water for everyone so they won’t have to rely on charities or international organizations to provide water. This is a great model to create a truly sustainable water infrastructure.
