In this issue, we provide an update on World Vision’s efforts to help address the COVID-19 crisis. We also acknowledge World Water Day by highlighting the importance of water in the lives of women, and share a new video starring Patricia Heaton.
World Vision Responds to COVID-19
The anxiety we have now due to COVID-19 about health, water, food and livelihood are daily realities for those in extreme poverty around the world. Daily, World Vision's water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) program works to help millions of people understand the critical importance of healthy habits to reduce the spread of infectious disease – whether the disease is cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery - or, now, COVID-19.
While we pray for the safety of everyone around the world through this difficult time, we hope that this crisis has a silver lining and fuels a passion to help ensure that everyone has a way to wash their hands, clean water, and dignified sanitation.
For the first time in our history, World Vision has declared a Global Health Emergency Response. This unprecedented move will focus our global expertise on response in 18 of the most highly vulnerable countries where WV works. While all countries are preparing to respond through sponsorship and other programs, these priority countries will have increased focus and support because of the need.
World Vision’s past responses to the Ebola and Zika virus outbreaks resulted in real breakthroughs in reducing the spread of these diseases, and we are confident that we can help engage communities to address the COVID-19 epidemic. We are working to provide face masks for health workers; thermometers, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes for children and families; and health training where needed to keep everyone safe. World Vision has been responding on the ground since the beginning of the outbreak, meeting critical needs in China. As the virus continues to spread, our staff are reaching at-risk communities with supplies here in the U.S. and abroad. You can provide help here.
World Water Day
In recognition of World Water Day, we’ll focus on the importance of water in the lives of women.
If you’re a woman or child in the developing world, not having a clean water source near your home means that you lose hours every day hauling water. Hauling water is hard work and causes chronic back-pain. The bacteria, viruses, and parasites in unclean water result in dysentery, cholera, and typhoid fever that not only make you sick but can kill you. Walking for water forces women and girls to walk alone in dangerous areas late at night or early in the morning. Studies show that levels of violence against women who walk for water is astounding. Walking for water pulls children out of school and prevents women from opportunities to work and make an income.
At World Vision, we know that providing clean water to a community transforms the lives of women and girls. In response, we’ve reached more than 8 million women and girls with clean water in the last four years! We have captured this impact through the eyes of Esperance, a woman in Rwanda.
But, before sharing that heart-warming story, we want to share some of the facts. In 2018, the Water and Development Alliance (WADA) in partnership with Coca-Cola, USAID, and the Global Water Challenge decided to dig deeper into understanding the impact of water on women. They partnered with the global research firm Ipsos to systematically study how improved access to water can impact women, their families, and communities. The results of the Ipsos research is summarized in a report called the “The Ripple Effect” and it identifies eight different pathways that link clean water to the improvement of women's lives:
Education through improved school attendance,
Nutrition through improved agricultural yields,
Health with nine out of 10 women reporting improved health of their families,
Safety and Security with one-third of women reporting a decrease in harassment,
Leadership and Skills with one-third of women becoming more active in their communities,
Time-Savings with nearly half of women able to devote saved time to income-generating activities or participating in community groups,
Income increased in nine out of 10 women who used the time saved to focus on income-generation,
Shifting Roles and Norms with a 62% increase in perceived male respect for women in communities.
I love how this research helps us understand the breadth and depth of empowerment provided by clean water. By understanding the various pathways, we can maximize the impact of each through our community development work.
Now, Esperance's story. We asked Patricia Heaton, World Vision’s Global Ambassador and the star of “Everybody Loves Raymond”, “The Middle” and now “Carol’s Second Act,” to help us tell the story of women and water. Patricia recently traveled to Rwanda with World Vision to see the impact of clean water. She met Esperance, a mom whose eyes danced with joy as she shared how clean water had transformed her family’s life. Her children no longer fight over how much water they can use, and who will make the long trek into the valley for water. Esperance proudly shared how she has increased her family’s income with the time she now has for farming and livestock. To Esperance, clean water is as precious as diamonds coming out of her tap. Patricia could see the change in Esperance’s eyes and in the improved relationship she has with her husband, Martin. Clean water brought the start of a whole new way of life. We urge you to take three minutes and 30 seconds to watch this video with Patricia and Esperance.
On this World Water Day, imagine the ripple effect that World Vision and our partners are having in the lives of more than one million women and girls that we will reach this year with access to clean water.
P&G Partnership
We’re proud to partner with P&G as they also focus on Women and Water this World Water Day. With P&G’s support, we’ve included an advertorial appearing in TIME magazine that builds awareness of women and water. It highlights World Vision’s Strong Women Strong World efforts. The article quotes Dana Dornsife who, along with more than 100 women philanthropists, have partnered with World Vision to make a positive impact on the lives of women and girls.
2019 Results
Our last newsletter shared our 2019 fiscal year results, and celebrated that we are on track with our commitment to reach 20 million people with clean water by 2020. Here’s the full report of our results.
Prayer Requests
Pray for our leaders as they make tough decisions to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, and for the safety of our front-line health care workers.
Pray that the new awareness of the importance of hand-washing and toilet paper among Americans helps fuel a passion to make sure that everyone, everywhere has clean water, a place to wash their hands, and dignified sanitation.
Pray for the safety of women and girls that do not have clean water, who face frequently dangerous circumstances as they walk at night or early in the morning.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.
In 2017, 85 percent of World Vision's total operating expenses were used for programs that benefit children, families, and communities in need. Learn More.
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