World Water Day: Giving children access to clean water is only half the equation

World Water Day was this week and it gave us time to think about a resource many of us take for granted, if we even give it much thought.

World Water Day was this week and it gave us time to think about a resource many of us take for granted, if we even give it much thought. 

Giving children and communities access to clean water is only half the equation. Water and health go hand in hand, and at Broadleaf it plays a central role in our efforts to build healthy, strong communities. Worldwide, 443 million school days are lost every year due to water borne illnesses. 

In India alone diarrhea causes 1,600 deaths per day, most often as a result of substandard water and sanitation habits. Broadleaf uses its groundbreaking approach to directly combat these issues by teaching children about the importance of good sanitation practices, handwashing, and drinking clean safe water. Broadleaf also ensures that students can put their learning into practice by building latrines and water systems at our partner schools. As a result, the CHHIP program has resulted in a dramatic 50% decrease in the incidence of diarrhea in private Broadleaf partner schools.