In January I am going to be running a half marathon in order to raise money for areas with little or no access to clean water.

In life many of us take water for granted, washing our hands and pouring a glass of water is just part of our daily routine, however for millions of people across the globe clean water is extremely limited and seen as a luxury. I wanted to create this page as during lockdown I have really thought about how incredibly lucky I am compared to those less fortunate. Without clean water my life would have been a very different one...

I would have had an extremely low chance of even reaching the age of 5 due to illnesses such as diarrhoea, more than half of diarrhoea illnesses can be prevented by clean water. If I did make it to the age of 5 there is a very high chance my growth would be stunted due to malnutrition linked to chronic infection caused by dirty water. As a young woman the task of walking to fetch water would likely have fallen to me hindering my chances of an education, walking hours carrying a 25 litre jerrycan making being on time for school virtually impossible. Without an education and continuous ill health I would have an extremely low chance of securing a job and the cycle of poverty would begin again with my own children. 

Boys and girls who grow up in this kind of poverty are likely to remain trapped in that cycle — without the basics of water and sanitation, they’ll continue the drudgery of long dangerous walks for water, the ill health which keeps them from working as adults, and have children who will fall into the same pattern.

Please help me support Water Projects by making a donation through my page. The process is fast, easy and secure. Thanks so much for your support... and please dont forget to send this page to any friends you think might be interested in donating!