BENEVOLENT BEER DRINKERS BACK CHARITY

 

Beer drinkers in Leeds city centre have given 130 people in Africa lasting access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene following a £2,000 donation last weekend.

Visitors to the Leeds International Beer Festival last weekend donated spare tokens to Yorkshire Water colleagues collecting on behalf of international charity WaterAid.

The four-day festival fundraising effort, which also included merchandise sales, will make a real difference to the lives of people in Ethiopia, one of the key areas of focus for WaterAid.

Dave McGlinchey from Yorkshire Water, who volunteering to represent WaterAid at the event, said: “We were amazed by how generous people were over the four days and really impressed with the organisation of the event itself.

“That £2,000 will have such a big impact on the lives of the people that WaterAid works with. We’d like to encourage our customers to help make a difference to people across the wider developing world by donating just £3 with a text of SAFEWATER to 70300.”

Darren Potter, Organiser of Leeds International Beer Festival, said: “We're absolutely thrilled by the total amount raised for Water Aid at the 3rd Leeds international Beer Festival. As our official charity for the second consecutive year we've developed a strong relationship with Water Aid and audiences have shown their generous support by making donations that will contribute to the crucial work that Water Aid undertake. We look forward to continuing our support of Water Aid at future Beer Festivals and developing the relationship further.”

A petition has been set up to make sure that water and sanitation make their shortlist after they failed to prioritise it back in 2000 when it was last discussed. You can sign the petition at www.wateraid.org/uk/YorkshireEE

SMURFS, VIKINGS AND MINIONS DESCEND ON WHITBY FOR REGATTA

 

Teams of smurfs, Vikings, minions, Romans and even Dennis The Menaces battled it out on Whitby’s coast as part of a charity regatta.

The light-hearted contest was put on by Yorkshire Water and raised over £2,500 for the international charity WaterAid, enough to give more than 150 people lasting access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

A total of 19 teams took to the water, rowing out of the harbour and racing back in traditional wooden rowing boats in aid of the good cause. The winning team was the ‘Out of our Skulls’ crew with ‘The Pillage People’, dressed as a team of Vikings, winning the all important best fancy dress honour.

Helena Stocks from Yorkshire Water said: “We had a fantastic day in aid of such a good cause and it was a real pleasure to see so many people turning out and throwing themselves into the spirit of things.

“I think the people of Whitby must have wondered what was going on when these armies of oddly dressed people were descending on their town but we got lots of support despite the grey weather and it was a really enjoyable day.”

A petition has been set up to make sure that water and sanitation make their shortlist after they failed to prioritise it back in 2000 when it was last discussed. You can sign the petition at www.wateraid.org/uk/YorkshireEE

Yorkshire Water is encouraging its customers to help make a difference to people across the wider developing world by donating just £3 to WaterAid with a text of SAFEWATER to 70300.

Yorkshire Water raises £175,800 for WaterAid

Yorkshire Water is celebrating after raising a massive £175,800 for international charity WaterAid over the last 12 months.

This is enough to transform the lives of 11,720 people through the charity’s tireless work to improve access to safe, clean water.

The Bradford-based company has raised enough cash to provide 1,369 toilets in Ethiopia through its lottery and payroll giving. And 121 members of staff took part in national challenge events including the Great North Run, Watercycle and 6peaks, 24 Peaks and WaterAid 200 walking events. These events have been enough to raise money for 22 handpumps.

Thirteen employees who are part of the WaterAid speaker network also gave 21 talks, reaching 1,624 people. This included 14 school talks for 1,292 pupils.

The cash raised from the company, WaterAid committee and employee fundraising could help 7,943 people around the world to get safe water and improved toilets.

Barbara Frost, chief executive of WaterAid said: “On behalf of everyone at WaterAid I would like to thank Yorkshire Water for helping us bring safe water and sanitation to some of the world’s poorest communities.

“Gaining access to water and sanitation really does transform lives; improving health, education and livelihoods and forming the first, essential step in overcoming poverty. The amazing support we receive from businesses and individuals is vital as we work towards a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water to drink and a safe place to go to the toilet.”

David McGlinchey, Vice Chair of Yorkshire Water’s WaterAid committee, said: “We’re very proud of our continuing support for WaterAid and being part of such a long-standing partnership that is making a huge difference to some of the world’s poorest people.

“We hope to raise even more money this year for WaterAid and have plenty of events planned over the next month with colleagues such as a 5-a-side football tournament, Watercycle Challenges and a 10K run at Ogden, Halifax. Not forgetting our biggest fund-raising event, our ball in October.

“Customers can also help by donating just £3 by texting SAFEWATER to 70300.”

Yorkshire Water is also supporting WaterAid to lobby world leaders who are meeting in New York in September to discuss a set of international development priorities for the next 15 years.

 

 

Sign the petition for Everyone, Everywhere 2030

This September, world leaders are meeting in New York to discuss a set of international development priorities for the next 15 years.

The last time they did this, in the year 2000, they failed to prioritise water and sanitation. That's partly why today millions of people still don't have taps or toilets, and millions of girls still spend hours that they could be in school making long walks to collect water for their families.

This year, we need to make sure that water and sanitation make their shortlist.

Sign the petition now! www.wateraid.org/uk/YorkshireEE

Taps and toilets can be key to a future where girls are educated equally and are free to fulfil their potential.

The lack of water can affect students in different ways

The challenges of lack of water and hygiene and sanitation facilities affect the students Ras Zesilas Elementary and Junior School, Addis Ababa, in different ways.

“Girls are particularly disadvantaged,” says Mekdes Dagne, Head of the Girls Club. “The girls sometimes experience their menstruation while in class and if they want to go and change pads, which we give for free, they have to have some privacy. The toilets do not have doors. So we put aside a room where they can change, and even take a rest if they have cramps. But there is no water in there. They have to go to the only tap, which they usually find locked. And then they have to dump the used pads in the toilet, which is hundreds of metres away on the other side of the school. Some of them would rather stay at home for those three or four days instead of subjecting themselves to all these things.”

Mekdes (pictured) is not talking about a theoretical possibility. She had an experience she will never forget. “There was this student of mine who was made fun of by students because the blood showed on her dress and she never came back to school. I went to a town called Woliso and saw her living on the streets with her child. She didn’t want to face me, but I pushed and asked her how it all happened, and she said her family threw her out for disgracing them with a bastard. Apparently, after she left school, she was vulnerable to things out there. It all started with lack of better sanitation and hygiene facilities at her school.”

Everyone at the school understands water is a scarce resource. And the only tap something that needs care.

Hiwot Walelign is an eighth grade student at Ras ZeSilas. At 17 and with a solid academic record, she is an influential figure at the school. As a class monitor, one of her roles includes looking after the water tap.

“Monday, it is I and another monitor from the fifth grade. We make sure students drink their water in a queue and responsibly. We have one tap and we have to look after it. If you don’t have water it is not easy to learn. If you are really thirsty, will you sit there thinking about your thirst, or concentrate on what your teacher has to say?”

Coming from a student who knows academic success comes not only from sitting in the class and reading the textbook, it’s a practical question. “I read now as much as when my mother was alive. I used to do household chores when she was alive as much as I do now. But I am not nearly as good a student as when she was around. It’s not about being in class. You need your concentration. If you are thirsty, you cannot concentrate on your education. If you go back to class sweating from physical education sessions, you won’t feel good. It’s good if you cool off your face a bit, or for the boys, even wash their heads and go back to class fresh. Then you can concentrate.”

Eye infections are a problem in Ethiopia

Ras Zesilas Elementary and Junior School (below) in the capital Addis Ababa is unique in Ethiopia because it has a long list of clubs that deal with specific themes.

Instead of Gender Club which just focuses on everything related to boys, girls and relationships, they have a branch that only girls are allowed to participate in - the Girls' Club.

Instead of the generic Health Club or Sanitation and Hygiene Club, they have an Eye Health Club necessitated by the amount of students that suffer from trachoma and other eye infections, mostly as a result of insufficient water and hygiene facilities. It's unique.

Tariku Tekele, 57, is a biology teacher with 38 years of teaching experience. In his spare time he helps as a coordinator of the Eye Health Club that now boasts over 120 volunteer member students. Seven of the students form an Executive Committee that oversees the day-to-day operations of the club and inform Tariku whenever they need support.

Tariku has his theories about why this and other schools in the area are particularly victimised by trachoma.

“I don’t think the trachoma starts in school. In fact, I believe it has to do with the way people in this area build their houses. The houses do not have windows to let out dust or smoke as they also cook inside. They also let their animals stay in their house instead of building them their own stables. So the chances of children getting infected are high. And when they come here and interact with children who barely have water to wash, the bacteria easily goes from one to the other.” says Tariku.

Tariku received training in detecting trachoma and other eye diseases using an E-chart and pinhole camera. He then brought the instruments to his school. A first-round survey he did on 800 students showed that 187 of them had one or other eye problem.

Tariku says, “That is nearly a quarter of them, so I contacted the NGO that trained us and we are waiting for their response. They said they would come make confirmation tests and distribute glasses according to the results. They have done that in another school where they charged students only 15 birr (£0.5) nominal fee. So I hope they will come here too.”

Tekalign Sahile, seventh grade student, is 14 years old. He has been suffering from poor vision and painful eyes for the last two years.

“I have a burning feeling inside my eyes, it’s itchy sometimes and it gets really red and cloudy. Sometimes it’s as if I am seeing through the clouds. I have seen doctors six or seven times. I was injected medicines in both eyes; it gets better and then it goes back. They say I am allergic to dust, smoke and too much light.”

Tekalign (pictured below centre) thinks his eye sickness has compromised his concentration on his education. “Every time I go to see the doctor, I miss a school day or two. Multiply that by five or six and you will see how much I miss out. I get some exam questions that are too challenging, which I am sure I would have figured out easily if I were there when the teacher talked about them.”

Tekalign wants to be an ophthalmologist when he grows up. “I want to be able to help children in my kind of situation both medically and also financially. That is why I signed up to the Eye Health Club. I don’t want other kids to go through what I am going through.”

 

 

Post your picture as part of WaterAid campaign

 

A new WaterAid campaign, launching this week, is asking women everywhere to post a childhood snap with the hashtag #MeAsAGirl, to raise awareness of the thousands of girls around the world who are suffering because they lack access to clean water.

The problems they endure aren’t limited to the obvious – lack of safe drinking water, personal hygiene and clean toilet facilities – but also have a direct link to education, as children spend their days trying to collect and carry clean water for their families, rather than going to school. The consequences of not having these basic services affect women and girls the most, as going to the toilet in the open leaves them vulnerable to violence and sexual assault.

“I’m supporting WaterAid’s To be a girl campaign as I believe all girls should be able to go to school and get an education,” Sarah Brown said today. “Too many girls around the world drop out of school because of the lack of somewhere private to go the toilet, or spend hours collecting water every day or have school sick days from drinking dirty water. No girl deserves to miss the chance to fulfil her potential because of lack of access to clean, safe water.”

Highlight the carefree childhoods that most people growing up in the UK have, Wateraid will be re-tweeting everyone who shares their #MeAsAGirl pictures on Twitter and will update a gallary with the best snaps.

Visit www.tobeagirl.org to read stories from girls around the world and to find out more. Support the campaign by sharing a pictures of #MeAsAGirl