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SDG 6: What is the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal #6 on Clean Water and Sanitation?

Posted on | by Leo Wilson

In 2015, the United Nations adopted a list of 17 “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDG), providing targets for the world to meet by the year 2030 in order to ensure a livable, more equal planet.

With World Water Day (March 22) nearing on the calendar, it’s a good time to focus on UN SDG 6, “Clean Water and Sanitation.”

It goes without saying that water is crucial for all of us. We need it to drink, to stay clean, to grow food. Unfortunately, the reality is that there are billions of people – one out of every three worldwide, in fact – who do not have easy access to a source of clean, drinkable water. This has a number of harmful effects, including increased disease from contaminated water and unhygienic behaviors, long and dangerous journeys by foot (usually by women and children) to acquire clean water, less agriculture production, and many others.

Solving the clean water crisis will produce healthier people and societies, promote economic growth, support women’s rights, and those benefits will be felt around the world. That’s why the UN and its member countries have signed to Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks to accomplish the following by 2030:

  • Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
  • Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
  • Improve water quality by reducing pollution and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals into the water supply
  • Increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of fresh water to address scarcity
  • Implement integrated water-resource management, including across national borders
  • Protect and restore water-related ecosystems including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
  • Expand international cooperation and build capacity in developing countries for water- and sanitation-related programs

Join our Roundtable Discussion Series and learn how you can help

This is just an introduction to SDG 6. How we achieve these goals is a much more complicated question. To help answer that question and promote a deeper understanding of the clean water and sanitation crisis, Embrace Relief is excited to be holding the first event in its Roundtable Discussion Series on Tuesday, March 22, at 10 a.m. EST.

Titled “Sustainable Fresh Water Systems During COVID-19,” this is a free, streaming-online event (sign-up required at the link above) featuring expert speakers from the world of academia and governments. They’ll discuss the current clean-water conditions in different parts of the world, the challenges faced in overcoming the crisis, and propose novel solutions to provide a better, more equitable future.

Help us provide clean water to those in need

In addition to our Roundtable Discussion Series event, Embrace Relief is working on the ground in Africa to help deliver clean water to people who need it.

To date, our Clean Water program has funded the construction of 450 water wells in the African nations of Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria. Additionally, through our “Fountains of Hope” program, we have located, reconstructed, and reopened 50 out-of-use wells. Altogether, our work has meant that more than 500,000 people now have an accessible source of clean water that previously didn’t exist.

But our job is far from finished, and now we need your support. Donate today to Embrace Relief’s Clean Water program to help us ensure that as many people as possible have access to this vital resource. You can make a huge difference in the lives of real people with just one click.

How much would it cost to end world hunger?

Posted on | by Leo Wilson

Summary

  • Why does hunger exist and why is it so widespread around the world?
  • Estimates of the cost to end world hunger show a high price tag – but one that could be more than made up by the productivity and happiness we would unlock by ensuring that no one goes hungry.
  • Read on to learn how you can support Embrace Relief’s efforts to help hungry people around the world through our International Hunger Relief campaigns.

We have the solutions to the world hunger crisis. Humans produce more than enough food to feed every single person on Earth. Yet the UN World Food Programme estimates that more than 700 million people worldwide live with hunger, and nearly one-fifth of the world’s 200+ countries are at risk for famine.

There are many reasons why hunger continues to persist. They include ongoing events: conflict is a main driver, with more than 60 percent of people affected by hunger living in active conflict zones, while climate change and natural disasters account for a number of acute hunger crises. And there are structural reasons that require action from everyone in society, like poverty and inequality.

The bottom line is that an adequate supply of food is a human right, and we must do all we can to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry, no matter what the cost.

And in fact, the cost might be less than you think.

A study produced in Germany suggests that the cost of ending world hunger within the next 10 years amounts to about $330 billion – $33 billion per year, spread between all the world’s countries. That money, the study says, would go towards increased social aid for poorer people, technological investments to improve agricultural production, and education in training.

While $330 billion may sound like a lot, the cost of not spending money to end world hunger is much steeper: human suffering, increased conflict, and political and economic instability lasting generations.

We can stop world hunger if we choose to. But while the world figures out long-term solutions, there are still people who need our help right now.

At Embrace Relief, we’ve made it part of our mission to provide food to people in need. Our work spans the globe, and takes place throughout the calendar year. During our two monthlong International Hunger Relief Campaigns in 2023 alone, Embrace Relief delivered food packages, hot meals, and meat packages to more than 150,000 people! Our work aided hungry people in more than 20 countries on five continents – from sub-Saharan Africa and Yemen, to Afghanistan and Indonesia, from Greece to the United States.

Easing hunger is a team effort, and we can’t do any of this without you. Donate to Embrace Relief’s Hunger Relief efforts in the box below and you can be part of the solution for the many millions of people living with hunger around the world. Your donation will support food distributions in one of the many countries we serve – and every dollar you donate makes a difference.

So please, donate today. Every contribution you make helps one more family go to bed on a full stomach, and brings us one small step closer to ending world hunger.

Donate For Hunger Relief

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International Women’s Day

Posted on | by Leo Wilson

International Women’s Day 2022: A brief history, and continuing the fight for women’s equality

Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day 2022, a day when millions come together to promote and reflect on the progress made by women around the world in achieving economic, political, educational and social equality.

Women have been fighting for equal rights for hundreds of years, but International Women’s Day itself was born in 1909. After a series of protest marches in support of voting rights and better working conditions,”National Women’s Day” was declared in America on Feb. 28, 1909. The idea of a day dedicated to the struggle for women’s equality quickly spread worldwide, and in 1914, the organizers of the women’s rights movement in the U.S. and Europe declared March 8 as International Women’s Day.

The women’s rights movement of the 1910s achieved enormous steps towards equality, most famously giving women the right to vote in numerous countries, including the United States in 1920. But it took until the next wave of activists, who emerged in the 1960s and 70s, for International Women’s Day to become a truly global event.

The United Nations observed the holiday for the first time in 1975, and asked all nations to set aside one day each year to honor the struggle for women’s equality: in the U.S., that’s March 8.

To this day, International Women’s Day remains a day of celebration, activism and awareness. Though the fight for equality has resulted in significant progress, it is by no means finished. Women are still not equally represented at the highest levels of political and societal leadership, and they still face a wage gap compared to men. And around the world, there is a significant inequality in education: far more young girls never step foot inside of a classroom than young boys, and those that do face significant barriers to learning.

Women’s education is one of the foundational elements of building a more equal society. Studies show that in developing areas of the world where women and girls receive higher levels of education, the results are an enormous positive for society: individuals see brighter prospects for social and economic advancement, while communities with high rates of educated girls are less prone to poverty, exploitation and violence.

In short: when a society empowers women with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve great things and lead productive lives, we all benefit.

Embrace Relief: Supporting education for women

At the Embrace Relief Foundation, we’ve taken this lesson to heart, and we’re asking you to help.

Our “R.I.S.E.” program – that stands for Reach. Inspire. Support. Educate. – provides support for women seeking either to further their education or to gain the skills they need for higher-level leadership positions.

Monetary donations to our R.I.S.E. program go directly to tuition, health insurance, books, transportation and meals for dozens of women in Tanzania who are currently studying to earn diplomas in education management and administration and school inspection.

Our current program provides 24 women with the financial tools they need to complete a two-year course and earn diplomas in Education Management and Administration (DEMA) and School Inspection (DSI).

This program aims to lift the burden of financial difficulties related to continuing education. Those that graduate with a degree in Educational Management will be empowered with the knowledge and skills they need to improve the education system and compete in a male-dominated labor market. Through increasing the number of quality assurers and education officers, our partnership works to improve the education conditions in Tanzania.

But we can’t do any of this without you.

So please, donate today. With every $100 donated to R.I.S.E., you are empowering one more woman to unleash her potential, making her life – and the world – better for it.

Donate Now!

How much water should you drink in a day?

Posted on | by Leo Wilson

Summary

  • The human body cannot function without water, and knowing how much water you need to function is crucial.
  • A water intake calculator can give you a good target for how much you should drink in a given day.
  • But it’s also important to acknowledge that hundreds of millions of people around the world don’t have the luxury of having easy access to clean water, like we do.
  • You can help change this by supporting Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Initiative, which has built water wells providing clean water to more than a half-million people!

How much water should you drink in a day? The short answer is there’s no magic number. The classic recommendation for the average person is to drink eight glasses of water or other liquids staggered throughout each day as part of a healthy lifestyle. That amount is roughly equivalent to:

  • Two liters,
  • 60 to 70 ounces, or
  • Four standard 16-ounce bottles.

Combined with water we get from the food we eat, that is typically enough to keep the average person properly hydrated. But the proper amount of water can vary significantly, based on:

  • Your age,
  • Your gender,
  • Your activity level,
  • Your body type,
  • Your metabolism, or even
  • Your location/climate.

A water intake calculator can help determine the optimal amount of daily water consumption for you. But the “recommended” amount of water is just an estimate: a much simpler way to know whether you’re drinking enough water is to pay attention to your body. It sends a number of signals that inform you if you’re properly hydrated. The color of your urine is one key indicator: if it’s darker-colored, you are likely dehydrated; if it’s consistently clear, you may be over-hydrated. Fatigue, headaches and muscle cramps can also be a sign of both dehydration or overhydration. If your water intake is off either way, your body will let you know.

Why is it so important to drink enough water? Because water makes just about every part of our body function properly. Water helps blood flow to our major organs, it regulates our body temperature, it’s vital for digestion, it lubricates the joints of our limbs, it prevents kidney damage, it gives us clean and beautiful skin, and it aids in weight loss. Chronic dehydration can be devastating to the fragile human body. In America, where we’re fortunate to have abundant clean water, maintaining proper hydration is as simple as turning on a faucet. But for more than two billion people worldwide, and especially in parts of the world like sub-Saharan Africa, clean and accessible drinking water is no guarantee.

In many areas of Africa, contaminated and poor-quality water sources force people to choose between drinking water that could contain waterborne diseases like cholera and dysentery, or not drinking enough water and facing the impact of chronic dehydration and thirst. In other areas, the nearest water source requires a long-distance journey by foot to get through the day. There is enough clean water in Africa for every single person to live a healthy and productive life free from thirst. Finding it and making it available to all is at the heart of the Embrace Relief Foundation’s work.

How you can help provide clean water

With your support, Embrace Relief has funded the construction of 450 new water wells, and the reconstruction of 50 pre-existing water wells, in the African nations of Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria. These wells are providing water to more than 500,000 people for at least the next five years.

Donating to Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Fund and its “Fountains of Hope” project is the single-best way to ensure that thousands of people will get the water they need.

But there are more ways for you to help Embrace Relief fight the clean water crisis. On Saturday, June 25, we will be hosting our inaugural H2Ow Far Can You Walk: 5K Walkathon at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. This family-friendly event is open to people of all ages and abilities, and will help raise awareness and money for building and rebuilding water wells in Africa.

Every dollar donated during our 5K Walkathon will provide more than 2,000 gallons of clean, drinkable water for those in need.

PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) WATER WELL

Posted on | by Leo Wilson
Code Country Town/Village Inauguration Depth Serving
Cameroon Kodogo 01/2022 45m / 148ft 1000 people


The Global Water Crisis: Why is clean water a problem?

Posted on | by Leo Wilson

For thousands of years, societies have relied on fresh, clean water to survive and thrive. However, right this minute, 785 million people – one out of every ten people on Earth – are facing life with limited or no access to safe, clean water for drinking, hygiene and sanitation..

Experts expect that that number will rise as the global population increases and continues to strain the water supply. UNICEF estimates that half of the world’s population could face water scarcity issues as soon as 2025.

Disruptions due to climate change – including unpredictable weather patterns leading to flooding or drought, the disappearance of much-needed sources of fresh water, and the destruction of infrastructure during climate events – could also exacerbate the problem worldwide.

As the water crisis deepens worldwide, it’s urgent to understand its impact on public health, education, women’s rights and the world economy, and why it will be crucial to invest in increasing and managing the global water supply.

The impact on public health, education, women’s rights and the economy

  • Clean drinking water is essential for good health. Drinking dirty, polluted water can lead to numerous diseases that cause severe illness and death, including diarrhea, cholera and typhoid. An estimated 829,000 people die of diarrhea each year, including nearly 300,000 children under the age of 5.
  • Clean water is also required for proper sanitation and hygiene. An estimated 4.2 billion people lack access to clean, safe sanitation, and are at risk of the local water supply being contaminated and becoming a vector for diseases like polio and intestinal worms. More than 2.3 billion people lack access to soap and water for handwashing, one of the key hygienic practices that prevent the spread of disease.
  • Children are especially at risk for water-related diseases. UNICEF estimates that nearly one in four children will be living in areas of extremely high water stress by 2030. Right now, nearly half of all schools worldwide lack basic drinking water, handwashing and sanitation facilities. This can result in some children not attending school at all, limiting their educational success. For those who do attend, inadequate facilities can result in preventable health issues like dehydration, as well as illness and death.
  • In many parts of the world where water is scarce, women are responsible for traveling significant distances collecting water for their family and community. This can not only result in physical injury and exposure to contaminated water, it is also a time-consuming task – the UN estimates that nearly 200 million hours per year are spent fetching water – that can limit the time girls and women can spend on education or productive work.
  • Additionally, studies suggest that girls and women who lack access to private sanitation and menstrual health facilities face an increased risk of health issues, as well as yet another burden preventing them from achieving an education or employment.
  • A lack of clean water also has a number of impacts on the economy, both local and global, that affect all of us. Water scarcity is one of the generators of rising food prices, and can cause instability that leads to devastating conflicts.
  • On the positive side, investing in clean water access for all can help alleviate poverty and generate enormous economic benefits by removing the burdens of poor public health, by increasing educational success, and by empowering women. It is estimated that reaching the UN’s development goals for water would produce an extra $84 billion in benefits for the world.

Embrace Relief’s Approach

One of the most important ways to alleviate the clean water crisis is to build much-needed and lasting infrastructure in areas of the world where underground clean water is plentiful, like sub-Saharan Africa. Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Initiative aims to tap into this resource by building safe, deep water wells in the region, while our “Fountains of Hope” project expands this mission to the reconstruction of non-operational wells.

With your help, Embrace Relief has built 450 new water wells and reconstructed 50 pre-existing ones primarily in the central African nations of Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria, providing more than 500,000 people with clean water for at least the next five years.

By donating to Embrace Relief’s Clean Water fund, you can help us build even more of these critical sources of clean water that will benefit thousands of people for years to come. You can also start and raise funds for your own clean water well project.

Please donate today and help us get clean water to people who need it! You can make a massive impact on thousands of lives with just one click.

Facts you need to know about Clean Water

Posted on | by Leo Wilson

Water is an essential resource when it comes to meeting the needs of individuals and society. Clean drinking water is a human right and the basis of a healthy life, and access to clean water is the foundation for the systems of sanitation and hygiene that prevent countless diseases around the world.

But what happens when people lack access to nearby clean drinking water? This is the situation that 2.2 billion people worldwide currently face, according to a 2019 study by the World Health Organization. That’s nearly one-third of the world’s population who lack access to safely managed drinking water services – that is, uncontaminated water that is both available and easily accessible when it’s needed. Even more people lack water for basic hygiene and sanitation.

All of this results in preventable sickness and death, especially in areas of the globe already caught in cycles of poverty and underdevelopment. Let’s take a look at some of the water statistics that tell the story of the crisis:

 Clean water statistics

  • More than 785 million people worldwide lack access to basic water services – water that can be collected within 30 minutes and is free from contamination either through natural (protected springs and rainwater) or man-made (pipes, wells) means. Of these, 144 million people depend solely on surface water (lakes, rivers, ponds) susceptible to contamination.
  • WHO data finds that 3 billion people lack basic hand washing facilities with soap and water at home, including 75 percent of the population of the world’s least developed countries, and 4.2 billion people lack safely managed sanitation.
  • The lack of available sanitation in many parts of the world has a huge impact on the food supply as well: it is estimated that 10 percent of the world’s population consumes food that has been irrigated by water polluted with waste.
  • Preventable health issues and deaths are the most visible consequence of contaminated water. The WHO found that 1.87 million people died in 2016 of causes attributable to a lack of access to clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. Diseases caused by drinking contaminated water, most notably diarrhea, were responsible for nearly half that total. Diarrhea is the second-leading cause of death among children under the age of 5 worldwide; on average, a child dies of a water-related disease every minute.
  • Beyond the risk of death from waterborne diseases, people without clean water are at increased risk of debilitating illnesses and health conditions. Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio, as well as sickness caused by parasites that affect millions. These conditions result in shorter lifespans, massive healthcare costs and significant economic disruptions.
     
  • Compounding the issue, one in four healthcare facilities lack basic water service and more people die from unsafe care than a lack of care.
  • An estimated 40 billion hours are spent annually on water procurement every year. In parts of the world like sub-Saharan Africa, roughly 90 percent of women and girls fetch water daily from distant sources, exposing themselves to dangerous journeys and inhibiting their ability to receive adequate education and contribute to their local economy.

Embrace Relief’s Approach

Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Initiative aims to reduce the suffering of people in sub-Saharan Africa by building safe, deep water wells in the region, where a substantial amount of underground clean water can be accessed. Additionally, our “Fountains of Hope” project expands this mission to the reconstruction of non-operational wells.

With your help, Embrace Relief has built 450 new water wells and reconstructed 50 pre-existing ones primarily in the central African nations of Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria, providing more than 500,000 people with clean water for at least the next five years.

By donating to Embrace Relief’s Clean Water fund, you can help us build even more of these critical sources of clean water that will benefit thousands of people for years to come. You can also start and raise funds for your own clean water well project.

Please donate today and help us get clean water to people who need it! You can make a massive impact on thousands of lives with just one click.

Donate Now!

FOUNTAINS OF HOPE – CAMEROON -ZANGO

Posted on | by Leo Wilson
Code Country Town/Village Inauguration Depth Serving
Cameroon Zango 02/2021 45m / 148ft 1000 people