Water - a Right for ALL

Vital Stats

Devan F

Atherton, CA

  • people helped3500
  • People Doing It 3

The Problem

Water privatization is a major problem in developing countries. Life in most remote villages in India or Africa consists of family members, generally women, walking miles each day to a well to get clean water. Private industrial companies will build a well that is more accessible but charge the villagers exorbitant amounts of money to have access to that water. For instance, statistics show that a village in Ghana has three times the cost of water as people living in New York City. These communities need reliable and inexpensive water supplies which helps with hygiene and health in addition to the basic need for hydration. What these communities need are wells that are reliable and inexpensive. Various organizations based in the United States are working towards providing water in developing countries.

Plan of Action

My project launched in September 2009. I put together a pamphlet and letter that was mailed to all families in the school. In addition, I made an all school presentation to students, faculty and administration about water privatization and my goal to raise funds to build a well. A website was built to enable people to securely donate money. My goal was $5,000 and we raised $6000, enough to build a well. That was the conclusion of my initial project. Water.org used this project as a beginning for a much larger effort in Bangalore that involves WaterCredit microloan programs to loan money to women in the communities. From the Water.org website: "The loans provide a very affordable option for a “convenience” that most of us define as a necessity – household toilets and water connections. We estimate the average loan size to be around $157 per borrower." My initial project has grown into something much larger and I am very proud to be a catalyst for change.
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Global Poverty
Human Rights
Homelessness and Poverty

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