INTRODUCTION TO OXFAM WATER WEEK

WATER WEEK IS ABOUT… …the importance of water to the lives of people all over the world. It will help you: to learn more about where water problems exist, and why. to think about what can be done to tackle those problems. to act, to do something about what you have learnt.

DOES WATER MATTER? Farmer in Niger waters the food in her garden. Credit: Fatoumate Diabate/Oxfam cleaning Think of all the things you need water for… drinking cooking washing removing waste (sanitation) growing food

WATER FACTS To drink per day? 2-4 litres per day To grow your food? litres per day! In the UK people use… 150 litres per day (each)* But in other countries people only have… 20 litres per day (each)* Over 7 times less

WHAT PROBLEMS EXIST... This woman in Pakistan collects untreated water for drinking and washing from a river after the floods of Not enough water to drink. At risk of disease. Without clean water and sanitation, you are water- vulnerable. Not able to grow enough food. Using your time to find water. What do you think this word means?

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

LEARN WHO IS AT RISK... Credit: Fatoumate Diabate/Oxfam...AND WHY!

FOR EXAMPLE... This is Mary in Tajikistan. There is plenty of water in her country. But her children have to walk for two hours to collect water.

IN TAJIKISTAN... To have enough water, Mary even has to collect the water dripping off her washing. This is in a country with lots of water... Why?

FIND OUT MORE... …about how people are water-vulnerable in many places. Pakistan Sudan and Chad Tajikistan Liberia and Niger AND ASK WHY...

TIME TO THINK

WHAT CAN BE DONE? Communities work hard to overcome these problems themselves. However sometimes they need some support. Farmers in Liberia working hard to dig their fields. Credit: Kieran Doherty/Oxfam

WHAT CAN BE DONE? Farmers in Liberia are starting to grow rice in fields irrigated by Oxfam. Credit: Kieran Doherty/Oxfam Oxfam works with water-vulnerable communities to try to overcome water problems.

HOW? By doing things to help straight away, for example by providing: boreholes wells water trucks

HOW? By doing things to help people in the future, for example: Providing hygiene education Talking to politicians Strengthening communities

WHAT DO YOU THINK? It’s up to you to decide which approach to helping is most effective. You can also think about what YOU can do to help support these communities to overcome their problems.

WANT TO ACT?

IT’S UP TO YOU... Decide what you want to do to make a difference… …and how you want to do it.

DEVELOP YOUR... Creativity Decision making Organisational skills Responsibility Communication skills Planning skills

YOU COULD RAISE MONEY... …in your school or community. You could hold an Oxfam Water Week Walk or Sports Day Event.

MONEY RAISED GOES TOWARDS......Oxfam’s water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH) projects. Credit: David Levene /Oxfam

RECENT PROJECTS INCLUDE… Improving water infrastructure in Liberia and helping small-scale farmers to grow more rice for their families. Credit: Kieran Doherty/Oxfam

RECENT PROJECTS INCLUDE… Installing Fresh Life toilets in schools in the urban slums of Nairobi, Kenya. This is helping to create a clean and healthy environment for the children to study and play in. Credit: Eleanor Farmer/Oxfam

Training villagers in South Sudan (many of them women) as community health promoters. They work in their communities to promote good health and hygiene practices. Credit: John Ferguson/Oxfam RECENT PROJECTS INCLUDE…

OR YOU COULD CAMPAIGN… Challenging decision makers to make better decisions. Pupils from Craneswater school made Water Week T-shirts and took their messages to Number 10 Downing Street.

OR WRITE TO THE GOVERNMENT… Boy with his message to the Government. Your message here…

OXFAM WATER WEEK IS… learn more about where water problems exist, and why. think about what can be done to tackle those problems. act, to do something about what you have learnt. A chance for you to: