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How Africa suffers due to water scarcity

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    Poverty cannot be addressed until each person’s basic demands are met. Though access to potable, clean, and safe drinking water is a fundamental right enshrined in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, access to water is not yet universal, with more than 400 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lacking access to clean drinking water.

     

    The water crisis in Africa stems from many challenges- poor infrastructure, political instability, climate change, land usage change, pollution, and population density.

    The first step to eradicate poverty is to provide every man, woman, and child with the necessities of human life. However, this is easier said than done.

     

    Correlation between poverty and water scarcity

     

    When potable drinking water is scarce or of poor quality, families are forced to spend time acquiring this basic necessity for their survival, this includes walking for miles to the nearest water source to fetch water or being forced to consume contaminated water.

    In poor villages, people are forced to stand in long lines waiting for their turn to draw water. 

     

    This could take a lot of time- some lines form at dusk and it can take hours before the family can have their drink of water.

     

    At other places, the only water sources are contaminated with parasites, chemical runoff, bacteria, animal waste, and sometimes even human waste. This is detrimental to the health of people, many of whom contract diseases like diarrhea, dengue, malaria, and many others.

     

    Due to the lack of water, even people who are willing to work have to spend time, effort, and money in acquiring basic potable water for their families. This leads to poverty and helplessness amongst people.

     

    How can we help fight water scarcity?

     

    Fighting water scarcity in Africa cannot be done independently. It requires the collective efforts of local communities, governments, NGOs, and foreign aid to improve water security for people across sub-Saharan Africa. Many organizations, like the Feed the Hungry organization, work with local parishes, governments, and civil societies to help improve the accessibility of water to those suffering the most.

    Many international donors, like USAID, Catholic Connect Care, and others are doing all they can to help those in need. This includes providing potable water to vulnerable communities through trucks or by investing in providing the necessary infrastructure to get water in taps to those most in need.

     

    Poverty in African countries can be reduced only when you help them access necessities like potable water, food, shelter, and an education.

    To start with, you can contribute as little as $15 a month to support organizations like the Catholic Connect Foundation who raises funds and resources to help those in need. This foundation distributes the funds amongst like-minded NGOs who work towards the welfare of those in water-scarce regions.

     

    Even if we solve the water scarcity issues of just one village or community, you give them hope for a better life. With access to potable water, the lives of these people improve immensely.

     

    Providing clean water helps improve-

     

    Food production- When clean water is available at the doorstep, children are free to return to class- they do not need to drop out to spend hours walking to fetch water. Also, proper sanitation facilities in schools encourage teenage girls to complete their education.

     

    Family health- When health is no more a worry, people can focus on their occupations and think of a comfortable life. Safe drinking water helps reduce the prevalence of various water-borne diseases, helping families to concentrate their effort and time on their work.

     

    Decrease poverty- Access to clean and safe drinking water can help decrease poverty in a community. The vicious cycle of poverty breaks when communities are given access to clean, drinking water.

     

    End hunger- Access to potable water leads to food security. When communities have water, they can grow their own food, being self-sufficient in food and thereby ending the cycle of hunger, thirst, and poverty.