Water for Hope
A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Initiative: Providing Safe Water in Jesus' Name

A Water Crisis

• There are 1.1 billion people, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, who do not have access to safe water. 
• There are another 2.6 billion that lack access to basic sanitation.
• Each year more than five million people die from water-related diseases.
• The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 4 miles.  The weight of water that they carry is about 45 pounds.
• Food prices and shortages are rising partly because water is not properly accessed and used for irrigation.
• Economic growth and general well-being is stunted where safe water supplies are inadequate.
• The poor are hit hardest and pay the most for water which should be a basic human right for all. 

How does water relate to the Millennium Development Goals?

Goal 1: Hunger

Without water, the possibility of eliminating hunger evaporates. Increased economic activity, irrigation for crops and proper hydration assume the presence of good water. Enabling multiple uses of water in a community stimulates economic growth and continuous food supplies.

Goal 2: Ensure access to primary schooling for all children

Children under the age of 5 who do not have safe water to drink and experience malnutrition are susceptible to permanent mental debilitation. Older children can miss large amounts of school time due to waterborne diseases and are prevented from reaching their full academic potential.

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Women and children are the ones spending a large percentage of their time fetching water. Providing access to closer sources of water, such as a well, frees women and children to spend more productive time at school learning new skills for better jobs.

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Providing safe water to children under 5 years of age will significantly reduce mortality. An abundant source of water close to home encourages simple hand washing, which can reduce mortality by as much as 50 percent.

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Expectant mothers are at high risk of infections if safe water is not available.

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Without access to safe water, people afflicted with HIV/ AIDS, malaria and other diseases are at a great disadvantage of fighting the diseases because they are already weakened by being exposed to waterborne diseases. The effectiveness of their medications is undermined because of unsafe water. 

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

The intention is to provide safe water for people now without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development (trade/aid/debt)

It takes the intentional commitment of groups like CBF to focus vision and work to end the water crisis with partners such as government, businesses, churches, local communities and individuals. Population growth alone calls for courageous commitments.

Return on Investment

According to the World Health Organization, the economic rate of return in saved time, increased productivity and reduced health costs for each $1 invested in safe water initiatives is $8.  Therefore, a $1 million investment yields an $8 million return.

Gifts will be pooled into increments of $6,000 per well.
 

Places of engagement

• Ethiopia
• Kenya
• Malawi
• Southeast Asia
• Thailand
• Uganda
• Zambia

Help solve the world’s water crisis. Get involved today.

To participate in a short term missions engagement related to water, call toll free 1-800-352-8741 or e-mail engage@thefellowship.info.
 

To give, send a check made out to “CBF” with “Water for Hope” in the memo line to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, P.O. Box 101699, Atlanta, GA 30392, call toll free 1-800-352-8741 or go to www.thefellowship.info/give.