We are 5 volunteers (Ola Sabak, Ela Aksoy, Chloe Airey, Elina Gavin, Kritsanu Belt) who recently returned from 3 months of volunteering in Sierra Leone with Y Care International and YMCA as a part of International Citizen Service (ICS). We are now creating a project of our own, in tackling one of the United Nation's global sustainable development goals: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all.

Worldwide, 663 milion people do not have access to improved drinking water sources and unclean water and poor sanitation are the leading cause of child mortality worldwide. We aim to raise awareness of this global issue in raising funds to build new water wells and fix broken ones in Sierra Leone, with the help of our team leader (Hannah Dando) who is currently still in Sierra Leone. We will also be raising awareness through our blog and Facebook page.

This will not only contribute to a positive change in enhancing the lives of people in these communities, but also to improving poverty and a range of opportunities for young people, in terms of their education and employment. Without good health, people cannot receive an education to get a job and earn an income and so, tackling clean water facilities correlates with tackling poverty.

Waterborne diseases, such as Diaroeha , Typhoid and Cholera, are one of the biggest causes of death of children under the age of five worldwide. Every day more than 800 children die from preventable diseases caused by unclean water, or lack of good sanitation and hygiene. Children - particularly girls - often miss out on education because school lack proper toilets and hand-washing facilities. Other miss out because they have to spend their days making long journeys to collect clean water rather than going to school.

This is why by raising awareness about this issue we can tackle more than just one UN's sustainable development goals. It is the time for us to work together and make a positive change!