Unfortunately, access to water is not evenly distributed around the world. Some regions face a glaring shortage of this vital resource, plunging their populations into great difficulty. Many actors are working on the ground to find concrete solutions to these crucial issues.
That is why, as part of our ECHO charity program, we are proud to support three associations that are working in the field:
Tanzania: school-based farms to feed 5,400 children
Too many children in the world face poverty and malnutrition. In Tanzania, one in three children suffers from malnutrition, seriously compromising their development and educational success.
The SO THEY CAN association provides a concrete solution to this challenge by helping 9 schools to create farms around their establishments, in particular by setting up drip irrigation systems for growing fruit and vegetables for the school canteens. Thanks to these initiatives, each pupil will be able to have a nutritious meal every day.
To support this project, our coworkers organized a major fundraiser, matched by Lesaffre, to finance the installation of nine drip irrigation systems around these schools in 2025. This environmentally friendly technology will guarantee reliable access to water, while actively involving students in learning about nutrition and agriculture. We are convinced of the lasting impact on the attendance and educational performance of these 5,400 children. It is our way of giving them every opportunity to develop and succeed.
Guinea: sanitation and sustainable water access: a vital challenge for families
In Upper Guinea, access to drinking water and hygiene conditions still represent real challenges for the local populations. In response to this situation, the association INTER AIDE has set up an ambitious program aimed at sustainably improving access to water.
Raising awareness of hygiene and sanitation practices and the renovation or construction of 13 water points have given 3,900 villagers sustainable access to quality water. At the same time, 5,919 families have benefited from the installation of family latrines, thus eradicating open defecation areas.
This initiative concluded with the training of local accredited repair craftsmen for the maintenance of the water network, as well as that of villagers, municipal authorities and the private sector, in order to ensure the continuity of these essential services.
Madagascar: professionalizing water point maintenance: a sustainable development challenge
On the south-eastern coast of Madagascar, access to drinking water and sanitation remains a major challenge for many rural communities. The aim of this project, led by INTER AIDE, is to establish sustainable public water services in around twenty communities in the region.
INTER AIDE therefore oversaw the construction or rehabilitation of 36 water points for more than 6,000 people, who now have sustainable access to quality water. To improve hygiene in the surrounding area, 400 latrines have also been built or renovated. The local populations have been empowered to maintain the drinking water network and ensure its economic viability thanks to the establishment of a public water service in each municipality.
France: raising water preservation awareness from a young age
In France, for the moment, everyone has access to drinking water, but climate change, pollution and our behavior can compromise our access to this resource in the long term.
The association WATER FAMILY Du Flocon à la Vague works to preserve water through scientific ecological awareness, education and training.
At Lesaffre, we have been supporting the work of this association for three years and encouraging our coworkers and their families to take part in workshops to better understand the issues at stake in France and around the world and learn the right behaviors to be ambassadors for this cause.
Since 2019, the ECHO charity program has supported more than 300 projects thanks to the commitment of 1,200 of our coworkers all over the world and the close relationship we have with the associations.