Over the past few weeks, students from schools that joined the campaign have deepened their knowledge about access to water in various regions of the world. Thanks to PAH educational materials, they learned how difficult to access water is as a resource for many people around the world, what causes shortages in many regions, and what consequences this entails. As part of their participation in the campaign, they also held a fundraiser, with the proceeds going to PAH to support the organisation’s efforts to improve access to water for the people of South Sudan and Somalia.

Young people are changing the world

Students from Zgorzelec have taken part in initiatives aimed at helping others before. Concerts and fundraisers organised by young people provide help both locally and globally. Motyle, WOŚP, fundraisers for Ukraine, Syria and Nepal, letter-writing campaigns with Amnesty International, and many other initiatives undertaken by students from Zgorzelec show that young people do care, want to be active and get involved when they can help others.

21 March, exactly on the first day of spring and on the eve of World Water Day, between 10:00 and 11:00 they will meet at the square named after Father Jerzy Popiełuszko to conclude their participation in the PAH “Studnia dla Południa” campaign.

Did you know that…

The cost of building a single well can reach approximately PLN 60,000 or more. In South Sudan alone, PAH has already built more than 100 wells. One of them is located at a primary school in Bor. Thanks to it, 250 students at the school now have access to safe drinking water.

Watch the film: https://www.pah.org.pl/multimedia/20/25/film_prawo_do_wody.

Why are wells important?

Ensuring access to water and proper sanitation is a fundamental response in regions of the world affected by humanitarian crises. Water, which we do not think about every day because we simply have it, is far more valuable to people in developing countries than it is in our reality. A well with clean water and sanitation facilities mean not only convenience, but also half as many patients in hospitals, reduced child mortality, a healthier natural environment, reduced poverty and an opportunity for socioeconomic development. Although access to water is one of the fundamental rights, it is still the case that

  • more than one thousand children under the age of 5 die every day from diarrhoea caused by drinking dirty water
  • 2 billion people worldwide do not have access to adequate sanitation, including one billion who have no access to toilets or latrines at all
  • women in developing countries spend 200 million hours every day fetching water for their households instead of spending that time on paid work, personal development, caring for children or education
  • more than half of primary schools in developing countries do not have access to water and sanitation, which is one of the main factors making it difficult for girls to attend school, especially when they reach puberty.

UM Zgorzelec/ii