Walk for Wells

Water Security in Niger
How you can help bring clean water to schools in Niger

Children everywhere should have access to an education—particularly in Niger, where only half of boys and a third of girls attend primary school. Access to water and sanitation plays a major role in their ability to get an education, especially for young girls with big responsibilities. In most families, it is a girl’s responsibility to fetch water for her family—which is often a long and difficult task. She may have to walk several miles to access clean water, forcing her to miss out on going to school. If the local school doesn’t have clean water, she’s even less likely to go. She isn’t able to get a drink, wash her hands, or use a clean restroom during the day. If she is able to get to school, she may have to leave early to get water for her family at home. Without access to water, life for students is far more difficult, especially if they’re a girl.

By providing access to clean water and sanitation, the number of girls who are absent from school can decrease by up to 37%.* The IMAGINE project (Improve the Education of Girls in Niger) seeks to increase the number of children, particularly girls, who complete primary school by addressing many of the reasons why they can’t. Plan’s 60 IMAGINE schools throughout Niger are equipped with wells, latrines, teachers’ lodgings, day-care centers, cafeterias, and a girls’ dormitory- all of which help support girls and their access to education.

Why Wells?
Streams are an unsafe source of water, often carrying waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery. In sub-Saharan Africa, diarrheal disease due to a lack of safe water and sanitation is the leading killer of children under 5 years old. A bore hole, which is dug deep into the ground, provides a safer supply of water that hasn’t been exposed to disease and contamination. By making it safer and easier to get water, we’ll make it safer and easier for girls to go to school. She and her family will be healthier, more educated, and better prepared to lift themselves out of poverty. Walk for Wells, and you’ll help girls in Niger reach their dreams!

For More Information about the Walk for Wells, visit www.planusa.org/walkforwells

*CARE Action Network, September 24 2010 http://bit.ly/cE92LN