Where children are quite literally dying for a drink

17/04/2008

A NORTH-EAST woman has spoken of the lasting impression made on her by a charity visit to a poverty stricken African nation.

Cara Hall, 34, travelled to the small, land-locked country of Burkina Faso with charity WaterAid to educate people about clean water.

Burkina Faso is the second poorest nation in the world and has a life expectancy of only 47.

The people face a daily struggle for life and have no option but to drink contaminated water.

Zimbabwean-born Ms Hall, media manager for Northumbrian Water, spent a week visiting villages with WaterAid to help her understand what problems people face and what can be done to help.

Ms Hall said: "The quality of water I drink every day in the North-East is the difference between life and death here for these people."

Because of the lack of sanitation, one in five children die before their fifth birthday in Burkina Faso and, since 2001, WaterAid has worked to improve conditions through education.

advertisement"One of the worst things I saw was people collecting water to drink from a canal that contained raw sewage, rubbish and animal intestines," said Ms Hall.

WaterAid is trying to change this by developing strong links with local organisations enabling them to educate the people of Burkina Faso to use water pumps and latrines.

Throughout the nation, drought has caused more people to move to cities and urban areas which has resulted in the growth of shanty towns. This has meant more water is needed and that is where the sanitation problems begin.

Ms Hall said: "Bomtenga village was the first place we visited.

The people there collect their water from a muddy hole in a dry riverbed. They don't have anywhere safe or private to go to the toilet."

Ms Hall is desperate to do what she can for the people of Burkina Faso, and hopes others will help.

Northumbrian Water arranges fundraising events every year for WaterAid and has raised £2.5m in the past ten years.

This year, businesses in the region have the opportunity to help by booking a table at the Northumbrian WaterAid ball, on May 30.

The company's customers also raise £250,000 a year for WaterAid through a water bill appeal.

To find out more about WaterAid, make a donation or buy a table at the ball, call Julie Watson on 0191-301-6713, email wateraid@ nwl.co.uk or go to nwl.co.uk/WaterAid.aspx

The Northern Echo - www.thenorthernecho.co.uk