Most of us are accustomed to never having to go very far to find good, clean, refreshing water. Water is cheap, reliable, and readily available. We don’t have to make plans in advance for where we are going to get our water to cook, clean, drink, or bathe. Access to clean water is an absolute necessity for hygiene and health; according to the World Health Organization, contaminated water is the number one cause of disease and death, worldwide, and children are the demographic most at risk from water-borne ailments. We all know to wash our hands prior to cooking and eating, after using the restroom, and so forth; what do you do if the germs you are trying to wash away are in the very water itself?

This is a question that the residents of the refugee camp struggle with, daily. In Buduburam, there are currently only two public water spigots servicing the entire camp. Although there are private street vendors who sell water, that water costs a premium that most people in the camp are unable to afford. Consequently, most are forced to rely upon the camp’s open public water supply for their needs. The ad hoc public water supply is an ad hoc system composed of rainwater diverters and wells, and it’s highly prone to contamination. Consequently, Buduburam sees a disproportionately high-rate of illness related to waterborne pathogens; 1 in 4 children in the camp will die by age 5 without your help.

Reducing the plight of waterborne disease means getting the refugees clean water. We have already built reservoirs and installed a few pumping stations, and we would like your help to install even more. Right now we are working to purchase the pipes and equipment necessary to establish more pumping stations throughout the camp, so that all who need it can have access to clean water. You can help our efforts by clicking either the image to the right or the How You Can Help button up top, and giving your gift today.