COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING THE GLOBAL CLEAN WATER AND EDUCATION CRISIS

The Clean Water Crisis

Water is a fundamental necessity for life, yet 2.2 billion people around the world lack access to it. This growing shortage poses a significant global threat, with 115 million people relying on surface water for their basic needs.

The Karoy Foundation is committed to tackling this clean water crisis. Our goal is to provide safe water and sanitation to as many people as we can reach. By meeting this essential need, we aim to give families hope, improve health, and help break the cycle of poverty.

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How Many People Don't Have Access to Clean Water?

More than twice the population of the United States lacks a household water connection. These individuals, especially women and children, spend valuable time collecting water instead of working, attending school, or caring for their families.

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The Power of Water

Access to safe water can save lives simply by being available. When water is nearby, it transforms time spent into time saved. Safe water can turn challenges into opportunities, unlocking education, economic growth, and better health.

Every person deserves the chance to shape their future, and water makes that possible. By expanding access to water today, we reduce tomorrow’s shortages. We’ve improved the lives of over 66 million people with safe water or sanitation, and together we can reach even more.

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Resources

Even in countries with sufficient water resources, scarcity is not uncommon. This can result from factors like collapsed infrastructure, contamination, conflict, or poor management. Climate change and human activities are increasingly denying children their right to safe water and sanitation.

Water scarcity limits access to safe drinking water and basic hygiene at home, in schools, and in healthcare facilities. When water is scarce, sewage systems can fail, increasing the risk of diseases like cholera. Scarce water also becomes more expensive.

Water scarcity disproportionately affects women and children, who are often responsible for collecting it. When water is far away, it takes more time to collect, reducing time for school. For girls, a lack of water in schools impacts enrollment, attendance, and performance. Carrying water long distances is physically demanding and can expose children to safety risks and exploitation.

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Challenges in Ghana

People in Ghana, particularly in rural and underserved areas, face significant health and safety challenges related to contaminated water and the long distances often travelled to access water or education. These challenges include:

Health Risks from Contaminated Water

- Waterborne Diseases: Cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, hepatitis A and E, and schistosomiasis (bilharzia) are prevalent.
- Malnutrition and Stunted Growth: Frequent diarrhoea due to unsafe water depletes essential nutrients, exacerbating malnutrition in children.
- Chemical Contamination: Prolonged consumption of water with high fluoride or arsenic levels can lead to skeletal deformities, dental damage, and organ toxicity.
 
Safety Challenges for Women and Children

- Exposure to Violence: Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to harassment, assault, or abduction while walking to distant water sources or schools.
- Physical Strain: Carrying heavy water loads over long distances often leads to chronic back pain and joint problems.
- Reduced Educational Opportunities: Time spent collecting water prevents children, especially girls, from attending school regularly.

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Mitigating These Challenges

Efforts to improve access to safe water and closer schooling options can dramatically reduce these risks. Key interventions include:

- Building wells and boreholes in rural areas.
- Installing water filtration systems.
- Establishing local schools to reduce travel distances.
- Promoting awareness of hygiene and safety practices.
- Empowering communities through infrastructure and education programs.

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The Global Education Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented disruption to education, severely impacting learning. The crisis halted education systems worldwide, with school closures affecting more than 1.6 billion learners. While many countries offered remote learning, the quality and reach varied greatly and were often inadequate substitutes for in-person learning.

Even now, schools remain closed for millions of children and youth, with many at risk of never returning to education. The detrimental impacts of school closures on children’s learning are significant, with the most marginalized children and youth disproportionately affected.

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Addressing Educational Challenges in Ghana

The Karoy Foundation is dedicated to addressing the challenges of rural education in Ghana. As CITI Newsroom states, "Education has always proven to be that very important tool for development in any country. Although Ghana’s constitution stipulates that: 'the state shall provide educational facilities at all levels in all the regions of Ghana, and shall to the greatest extent possible make these facilities available to all citizens,' this has been and still is a mere rhetoric other than reality, especially where the rural child is concerned."

In Ghana, despite government efforts, much work remains to be done. The education sector faces numerous challenges, particularly in rural areas. By addressing these issues, we aim to provide every child with the opportunity for quality education, empowering them to build a better future for themselves and their communities.

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References

- World Health Organization and UNICEF. (2023)
- World Bank
- CITI Newsroom