A Few Water Facts to Think About . . .

As you go through your day today, how many times do you use water . . . without even really thinking about it? Consider these water facts from WaterAid America -

• 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world's population. (WHO/UNICEF)
• 1.4 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. This amounts to around 4,000 deaths a day or one every 20 seconds. (WHO)
• Hand-washing with soap at critical times can reduce the incidence of diarrhea by up to 47%. (UN Water)
• The weight of water that women in Africa and Asia carry on their heads is commonly 40 pounds, the same as an airport luggage allowance.
• 97.5% of the earth's water is saltwater. If the world's water fitted into a bucket, only one teaspoonful would be drinkable.
• At any one time, half of the developing world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from diarrhea. (UNDP)
• Children in poor environments often carry 1,000 parasitic worms in their bodies at a time. (UNICEF)
• The average North American uses 400 liters of water every day.
• The average person in the developing world uses 10 liters of water every day for their drinking, washing and cooking. (Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC))
• An old lavatory uses at least nine liters of water a flush; a low-flush model uses as little as three liters. 
• Every year, around 60 million children in the developing world are born into households without access to sanitation. (UN Water)
• Children living in households with no toilet are twice as likelyto get diarrhea as those with a toilet. (WEDC)
• 11% more girls attend school when sanitation is available. (UK Government Department for International Development)

So . . . what can you do to help make a real difference in the very important area of helping people around the world be able to access clean, safe water? Consider involving the children in your ministry in a clean water project through World Vision. We - and the children in our ministries - can make a real difference in the lives of children and families around the world! What will you do to help your kids help others?