1. OXFAM TAPS OFF DAY
Introduction

2. DOES WATER MATTER? Assembly: Water Week
In this assembly we’ll learn about the importance of water. We’ll find out what it means to be water-vulnerable and think about what the symptoms and causes of water vulnerability are. Finally we’ll learn about ways in which you can take action to support water-vulnerable communities in other countries around the world.
Photo: A young boy collects water in a village in Papua New Guinea. Credit: Rodney Dekker / Oxfam

3. DOES WATER MATTER? No! Can anyone survive without water?
We all need water to live… … and not just any water We all need safe, clean water.
Question 1: Can anyone survive without water?
Answer: No!
Water is recognised as a basic human right.
‘The right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.’
United Nations, 2010
But this basic human right is denied to many people.
900 million people still don’t have access to safe, clean water. That’s 15 times the number of people in the UK.
2.6 billion people live without acceptable sanitation. That’s over 40 times the number of people in the UK.
Sanitation = getting rid of dirty water and waste. For example, sewers are needed to remove waste from toilets.
Data source: Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council

4. DOES WATER MATTER? drinking cleaning washing cooking
Question 2: What do we need water for?
Ask learners for suggestions. Can they think of any more ideas other than those mentioned above?
We need water to drink, wash ourselves, clean things, eat, cook and have time to live!
Think how hard your life would be if you had to spend hours getting water every day.
Photo: A woman washes her hands using water from the 5,000 litre tank provided by Oxfam following the 2009 tsunami. Jane Ussher / Oxfam
removing waste (sanitation)
growing food

5. WATER FACTS To drink per day? To grow your food? In NZ people use…
= 5 litres
To drink per day?
2-4 litres per day
To grow your food?
litres per day!
In NZ people use…
Between litres per day (each)
In many countries people still have access to less than…
10 litres per day (each)
Up to 20 times less
A typical bucket holds five litres of water. You might like to hold up an actual bucket at this point to show learners.
Question 3: How much water do you use each day?
To drink per day?
To grow your food?
The average person in New Zealand uses between 140 and 200 litres per day.
That’s about 30 buckets of water or 2 full baths.
In many countries, people still have access to less than 20 litres of clean water a day…
That’s less than 4 buckets of water per day.
Ask learners whether they think they could survive with only that much water.
Data source:
United Nations Development Program – Human Development Report 2010:
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs:
New Zealand Civil Defence

6. WHAT DOES WATER-VULNERABLE MEAN?
Without clean water and sanitation, you are water-vulnerable.
What do you think this word means?
Not enough water to drink.
Using your time to find water.
Question 4: Ask learners what they think water-vulnerable means?
Answer: If you are water-vulnerable it means you are at risk or in danger because of something to do with water.
Like any problem, water vulnerability has symptoms and causes…
Symptoms are what you see or experience when you are water-vulnerable.
Causes are those things that are making water vulnerability happen.
Photo: A girl in Papua New Guinea holds two glasses of water, one with water from a tap installed by Oxfam at her school, and the other with the dirty water she used to drink. Rodney Dekker / Oxfam
At risk of disease.
Not able to grow enough food.

7. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF WATER VULNERABILITY?
Conflict…
Poor infrastructure…
Question 5: Ask learners what they think are some of the causes of water vulnerability?
Conflict
In Syria there has been a conflict. People have had to move to displacement camps to escape the fighting.
Photo: Caroline Gluck / Oxfam
Poor infrastructure
Poor infrastructure is where a community lacks the basic physical and organisational structures it needs for access to safe, clean water. For example there could be insufficient water pipes, pumps, filtration and tanks.
Photo: Rodney Dekker / Oxfam
Natural disasters
In 2016 Cyclone Winston hit Fiji. Infrastructure was destroyed and people were evacuated.
Photo: Adi Kautea Nacola / Oxfam
Question 6: Why do learners think these factors cause water vulnerability?
Natural disasters…

8. WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Communities work hard to overcome these problems themselves.
However sometimes they need some support.
Communities work hard to overcome these problems themselves. However sometimes they need some support.
Photo: Water tanks being unloaded in Vanuatu. Credit: Oxfam

9. WHAT CAN BE DONE? Oxfam works with water-vulnerable communities
Oxfam works in partnership with international and local organisations and communities to enable people to lift themselves out of poverty, often using their existing knowledge and expertise.
Photo: Distribution of jerry cans at Wonkama Village, Papua New Guinea. Each family receives one 20 litre jerry can, packets of soap and health information. Oxfam and local partner organisations in PNG distributed 6,500 jerry cans. Rodney Dekker / Oxfam
Oxfam works with water-vulnerable communities
to try to overcome water problems.

10. HOW? By doing things to help straight away, for example by providing:
tap stands
Sometimes communities need support in emergencies. Oxfam helps people meet their short-term needs as a result of unexpected disasters and crises.
Fiji was hit by Cyclone Winston in February Oxfam installed water tanks, tap stands, and repaired water systems in remote communities. Credit: Alicja Grocz / Oxfam
buckets
water tanks

11. HOW? talking to politicians
By doing things to help people in the future, for example:
strengthening communities
providing hygiene education
Oxfam also supports communities by helping them to build long-term solutions. For example, we promote good health and hygiene practices, and train locals to become village pump mechanics to that they can take responsibility for repairing water pumps when needed, helping to ensure long-term safe water supplies. We also advocate at local and international level for the improvement of water infrastructure and support.
talking to politicians

12. IT’S UP TO YOU...
Decide what you want to do to make a difference… …and how you want to do it.
Oxfam Taps Off Day is a chance for us to understand what it’s like to be water-vulnerable, think about what can be done to tackle these problems and support people in the Pacific by funding new water and sanitation projects.