From March 16 to 25, close to 200,000 people all around the world will take part in walks for water in a global event aimed at bringing awareness to the need for clean water and safe sanitation. With 25 countries including the US, the UK, Bangladesh, Belgium, Nepal, Colombia, and Cameroon in participation, the project called “the World Walks for Water” is set to be the largest people power event this year.

Organized by the World Walks for Water and Sanitation Campaign, the project hopes to highlight the millions of Africans, overwhelmingly women and children, who have to walk great distances on a daily basis for water and lack proper sanitation. Over 330 million Africans or 39 percent of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa live without access to clean water. 600 million or 70 percent go without safe sanitation. Every year 400,000 African children under the age of five die due to diarrheal diseases caused by lack of clean water and safe sanitation.

The walks for water will take place on the week of the 20th Anniversary of World Water Day on March 22, designated by the United Nations. In Sierra Leone, Kenya, Liberia, Ghana, Malawi, and other African countries, people are organizing to call upon political leaders to keep their promises on sanitation and water. Natasha Horsfield, the coordinator for the World Walks for Water campaign in the UK, said, “It’s time to tell world leaders that it’s not acceptable for 2,000 children to be dying every day.”

– Rafael Panlilio

Source: End Water Poverty, Ghana Business News