Steps to Water

Did you know that every single day, women and girls waste 200 million hours walking 6km to collect water?

That’s the equivalent of 8.3 million collectively wasted days.

And 22,800 wasted years.

This World Water day, we’re inviting you to make a 6km journey that isn’t wasted – in fact it will prevent more women and girls from needing to make the dangerous journey to collect water every day.

Will you take on the Steps to Water Challenge and help to bring clean water a step closer this World Water Day?

So why 6km?

6km, or around 3.6 miles, is the average distance it takes for women and girls in developing countries to collect water — water that is often dirty, contaminated and will make them sick.

To add to this, the walk can be dangerous, but women and girls don’t have a choice but to put themselves in danger to support their families.

So how far actually is 6km? Well, it’s the equivalent to:

8000 steps
60 lengths of a rugby field
57 laps of a football pitch
From Vauxhall Bridge to London Bridge on the North side of the river
5x the number of steps to climb the Empire State Building

You could probably walk 6km in an hour and 15 minutes, or if you’re a fast walker – in about an hour. And our Steps to Water Challenge can be done anywhere you like - whether it’s on a walking machine, through your favourite park, or on your route to work.

You can walk or run the distance, by yourself or with your family or your friends of your colleagues. Why not organise a lunch time walk on the day of world water day to get more people involved?

Why £6?

Just a Drop ensures that every donation you make counts – however big or small your donation, you can be sure that it is being used to transform lives.

£6 (or £1 per km you walk!) is the equivalent to supporting an entire a family in Cambodia with safe water and sanitation.

Clean safe water and sanitation changes everything... the whole community has better health. Children no longer die from preventable diseases caused by dirty water and a lack of sanitation. Women and children no longer have to make long and dangerous journeys to the nearest source.

With a stable source of water in the community, food security is increased, as families can grow crops and sell the excess. They can begin to lift themselves out of the poverty trap.

Water is the beginning of the journey out of poverty, which leads to better health, increased prospects and brighter futures.

So what next?

Help Just a Drop to bring clean water a step closer this World Water Day and follow our three simple steps:

Run or Walk 6km
Donate £6
Nominate 6 people to take part and do the same!

You can take part any time during the week of World Water Day, from Monday 21st March up to Monday 28th March

Thanks to supporters like you, 11 year old Elizabeth no longer has to make the wasted journey to collect water every day.

She said: “School has become better since the construction of the school water tank. Initially, we used to carry water to school every morning which was very exhausting.

I would wake up very early to walk to the river in a bid to fetch water.

At times, during the dry seasons, we would have to dig very deep scoop holes which was time wasting.”

Just a Drop worked with Elizabeth’s community to build a School Rainwater Harvesting Tank. During the rainy season the tank harvests rain collected from the roof of the school, enabling the children and teachers to access to year-round water. The tank was also decorated with positive hygiene messages to reinforce good handwashing practices.

Alongside this, Just a Drop supported the school to form its own Health Club, led by a teacher, whereby children will become ambassadors of handwashing, encouraging their peers to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating, whilst also leading peer-to-peer learning sessions and soap making classes.

Elizabeth continued: “Fortunately, after the construction of the school water tank, the school food is always prepared on time, we have plenty of drinking water at lunch time and we are no longer expected to carry water to school.

Life has become easier and bearable. I have had more time to study and I expect improvements in my performance”

If you’d like to find out how you or your company can support a rainwater harvesting tank at a school in Kenya and see a tangible impact, please contact [email protected]