“A WASH Project is a project which gives a community access to better quality water, effective sanitation and educates them in hygiene principles to improve the health of people in the community.”

This article is part of Global Development Group's advocacy efforts for the development sector to help inform and educate our partners, donors and the general public about the issues and priorities of aid and development.

WASH: Water and Sanitation, Hygiene.

The heart of human health and development is sanitation and drinking water.

MDG7
Global Development Group is committed to help achieving the Millennium Development Goals, including Goal #7.C to “halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation.” 
This is a serious problem as nearly 50% of the developing world’s population – 2.5 billion people – lack appropriate sanitation facilities, and over 884 million people have contaminated drinking water sources. (http://www.unicef.org/wash/index_3951.html).

Every day these problems combined with poor hygiene practices, cause sickness and death to thousands of children, and contribute to the impoverishment and
reduced opportunities for thousands more. Poor sanitation, water and hygiene have many other serious repercussions.
Children – and particularly girls – are denied their right to education because their schools lack private and decent sanitation facilities. Women are forced to spend large parts of their day fetching water. Poor farmers and wage earners are less productive due to illness, health systems are overwhelmed and
national economies suffer. Without WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), sustainable development is impossible.

Play the AUDIO below to listen to a short introduction to the concept of a WASH Project, as Global Development Group staff Greg Cadman (Compliance Officer) interviews Craig Tunney (Project Officer) on the topic 'what is a WASH Project?'

 

Click here to download a intro PDF information sheet on this topic.


PHOTO: Water for schools (J617)

Global Development Group is very experienced in Civil Society Water
Sanitation and Hygiene Projects and chooses to promote biogas as a base to its sanitation initiative as it:-

  • Is a hygienic solution producing methane gas and a clean fertilizer.
  • It prevents contamination of the ground water.
  • The gas can be used for cooking and lighting.
  • It normally significantly reduces the need to use wood and similar materials for fuel.
  • It can be designed for single households up to large scale facilities of over 10,000.
  • We prefer to also mix in pig or cow waste.  Cow waste being more applicable to Sub-Sahara countries.
  •   Although used extensively in China, Cambodia etc, biogas using human waste has some cultural barriers to overcome in Sub-Sahara countries.

Biogas Project (J89)
Biogas Project (J89)

Water Pump
Water Pump (J584)

Toilet Construction
Toilet Construction (J213)