Dublin, March 22nd, 2016
Brian Mac Neill, ChildFund Ireland
Some people wonder why the development calender is so full of anniversaries and dates to mark this, or that, issue. To such people, World Water Day might seem like a fairly innocuous, perhaps even insignificant event to commemorate. Its the job of NGO’s like ChildFund who work in developing countries to explain why water , the assumption of its availability, and the limited access millions of people have to it, is of CRUCIAL significance to tens of millions in the developing world. For families there, sourcing fresh water supply is perhaps the single most important issue dominating their daily lives, along with the need to feed themselves. It is an issue that effects children perhaps more than any other group. The necessary prioritising of fresh water for the family may trump the need for children to get a regular education, may trump the need to protect them from violence and the degrading impact of labour on their development.
Walking miles to a fresh water source can expose children to hazards including dangerous wild animals, people traffickers or other predators. It can stop them getting to school regularly and deny them essential rights that most children in the developing world take for granted. These are just some of the reason why we mark World Water Day and ask you to pause for a moment and reflect on the significance that water plays in the daily lives of millions of children, and crucially, in their development.
ChildFund works in communities across Africa, Asia and the Americas to protect children from harm and to provide services that can materially improve their lives, including the installation of wells and tanks. You can support us by becoming a child sponsor, or by donating to a direct action scheme. Many of our loyal supporters do both.
Read how one donor made a huge difference to the life of, not just Edward their sponsored child, but to his whole community too with one simple act of generosity.
Find out about our Child Sponsorship Programme and how you can get involved HERE
Thank you and happy World Water Day!
ChildFund Ireland
