Ali Asghar Water Appeal (AAWA)

“Whosoever provides someone water in a place where there is already water present, is like one who has freed a slave.   And whosoever provides someone water in a place where there is no water present, is like one who has granted life to a soul; and whosoever grants life to a single soul, it is as if he has granted life to all of mankind.”

Imam As-Sadiq (as)

Introduction
The Ali Asghar Water Appeal (AAWA) is an initiative of The World Federation in partnership with The Africa Federation, CoEJ, Council of Gujarat and NASIMCO to provide clean water and adequate sanitation facilities in India, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

Access to a regular supply of safe water and adequate sanitation is a basic human right. Yet the lack of these two necessities is widespread for members of our community living in the developing world. Unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation are the cause of a number of preventable diseases among the indignant population of these regions.

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The AAWA aims to meet the imminent needs of our Shia Community, the wider Muslim community and humanity as a whole. The purpose of the AAWA is to raise funds to provide families and children with easy access to proper sanitation facilities as well as a fresh clean supply of water that is safe to consume.

The Current Water Crisis
More than one billion people lack access to improved sources of drinking water, and all of them suffer the consequences – health problems, economic and social difficulties and inequities.

Key Statistics:  Access to Clean Water Supply

• 1.1 billion people lack access to improved water sources, which represent 17% of the global population.

• In sub-Saharan Africa, 42% of the population is still without improved water.

• In order to meet the water supply, an additional 260,000 people per day up to 2015 should gain access to improved water sources.

• Between 2002 and 2015, the world’s population is expected to increase every year by 74.8 million people.

Key Statistics:  Access to Adequate Sanitation Facilities

• 2.6 billion lack access to basic sanitation.
• In sub-Saharan Africa sanitation coverage is a mere 36%.
• Only 31% of the rural inhabitants in developing countries have access to improved sanitation, as opposed 73% of urban dwellers.
• In order to meet the sanitation needs, an additional 370,000 people per day up to 2015 should gain access to improved sanitation. Unfortunately, this will not be met until 2076 and the cost of inaction is huge.
• The resulting diarrhoeal diseases kill 5,000 children every day, five times the number of deaths from HIV/Aids. This global crisis is undermining all development efforts.
• There is compelling evidence that sanitation improvement brings the greatest public health returns on investment of any development intervention. For every US$1 spent on sanitation, up to US$9 is retuned on improved health, economic productivity and education.

Health Effects of Unsafe Water and Poor Sanitation
Unsafe water and poor sanitation cause extremely bad health effects and unhealthy living conditions:

• Lanes where children play are filled with rubbish and sewage.
• Residents have to collect their water from unprotected sources such as polluted wells, contaminated drainage channels, or buy it from vendors at a much higher price then if their homes were connected to a municipal supply.
• There are a number of preventable diseases that occur. These include: Diarrhoea, Malaria, Schistosomiasis, Trachoma, Intestinal Diseases, Japanese encephalitis, Arsenic Poisoning and Fluorosis.

5 Point Action Plan
The Ali Asghar Water Appeal will focus on 5 water and sanitation strategies:

1. Building wells & water pumps
2. Setting up water tanks
3. Water Testing
4. Providing chlorine tablets
5. Installing latrines /sanitation services

Who the Funds will Benefit
Whilst the need for improved water and sanitation facilities are apparent across the developing world, the AAWA will focus its efforts initially in India, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda:

Country	Partner Organisation
INDIA	Gujarat – Council of Gujarat Lucknow – Tanzeemul Makatib
TANZANIA	Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania
KENYA	Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya
UGANDA	To Be Announced

A Success Story

Last year, The World Federation sponsored the installation of hand pipe borings (used to access ground water) in the home of almost every Shia Muslim living in the villages of Bihar, India. Finally, more than 90% of the underprivileged families are now able to drink, bathe and cook with clean water.

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Relief