Tanzania Feeding a Nation | Page 12

A young Tanzanian girl walking down a dusty road carries two five gallon buckets in each hand. She's going to get water for drinking, cooking, cleaning for her family. She has two options for water. One is go to the well, except it's been contaminated by toxic waste from toxic drainage systems, or they can go to the lake where there is bacteria and human waste. Women have to walk miles to find water. It's a bonus to find a clean water pump. On top of this, they run the risk of being attacked or raped.

WaterAid works specifically on the WASH crisis: water, sanitation and hygiene. A representative from WaterAid, a British organization, states, "Our vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. Almost half of the people in Tanzania do not have access to safe water. Typically, women and children spend over two hours a day, and up to seven hours in remote areas, collecting water. Access to toilets is even lower – at just a 12% of the population. This is particularly problematic to health in densely populated, unplanned settlements.

These issues have a big impact

on health, with over 10,000 children

under five years of age dying each

year from preventable diarrhoeal

diseases. There are wider impacts

too – on education, livelihoods and

wellbeing "(wateraid).

thirsty a water crisis

By Jennie Bicknell