An estimated 80% of the population does not have access to clean and safe drinking water. The total impact of funding safe water projects is exponential, especially when considering the health, education, economic, and social benefits afforded to children and members of their families. The expected impact in the communities has been identified as the following:
- Increased school attendance as a result of less illness.
- Increased adult working days as a result of fewer children becoming ill through the use of the Hydraid® BioSand Filter (400 days will be gained from adults staying in work because kids are healthy).
- 50,000 hours of time estimated by children and their family members saved by not having to find firewood to burn in order to boil their water.
- Empowering women to take control of their family’s overall health.
- Increase in productivity, as less time will be spent in collecting drinking water and more time to increase their income (WHO estimates that for every dollar invested in improved drinking water and sanitation, the economic benefits can range from $4-$34).
- Increased understanding within the community of issues related to gender equity.
- Greater sustainability through training.
- Health clinics will have access to clean and safe drinking water for staff and patients.
- Health clinic professionals will have access to clean water to wash hands, wash instruments, and disperse medicine with clean drinking water.
After 8 years of testing, training, working in schools and communities to see what works, and then taking proactive steps to improve conditions in Tanzania, GSP has developed and fostered a wide range of long-term partnerships from “grassroots” to “global.” This collaboration has led to the development of “Smart Villages,” using modern innovative technology and developing infrastructure that provides a pre-packaged bundle of services (e.g. clean water, energy, and telecommunications), that delivers each of these components to the community, which are vital for a more livable and sustainable future — making a significant difference in the lives of people (especially women and girls), ” said Kimberly Fogg, GSP Founder and CEO.