A Spring of Hopes Perspective

Water 1 billion people in the world without access to clean drinking water. Health: Cost of disease/illness in # and in $. Education: 443 million school days/ year missed due to water-related illness. Again, costs. Agriculture: 72% of surface water; wastes; transport, environmental costs.

Health Disease and productivity loss= 2% of GDP, 5% in Sub- Saharan Africa. (more than region gets in aid, according to Human Development Report) Diarrhoea, second biggest killer of children. (5 billion cases a year in Sub-Saharan Africa); also roundworm, whipworm, hookworm (infected children 2x as likely not to attend school.) Malnutrition, vitamin deficiency. Who can survive to take on leadership? Inexorably connected to education. (School days missed, poor facilities at school).

Education 443 million school days/year missed due to water-related illness. GIRLS! tasked with collecting water miss school. 50% of primary school drop outs in Sub-Africa are due to poor water facil. Less likely to attend school without proper sanitation. 40 BIL hours/year spent collecting water in Sub-Saharan Africa. Disempowers women, lowers income. Parasitic infection retards learning for 150 mil children. Who would want to go to school without running water? Incentives! No room for self-improvement. ASOHs mission.

Agriculture Many schools are living beyond ecological sustainability. Government trucks come to deliver water. How is that sustainable? Developing countries: 80% to agriculture. Unemployed/small farmers cannot compete with water-thirsty big corporations. At local level, small business can make a difference. ASOH & schools.

Who is Affected? When I was in school, the thought of going home made me sad, knowing I would have go to the tap, on an empty stomach, where I would be pushed by the elders, who never wanted to queue. I hated my life. - Woman in South Africa. And over 2 billion more people. A Spring of Hopes children.