Access to Water for 500 Rural Indian Families

Could you carry water for 3-6km?

Shiva* is 55 years old. He lives in the Dharmapuri district. He made some protection for his WaterWheel so it’s not damaged on the road. Shiva said: “it is very much useful for me; I can carry four pots of water at a time.”

Mrs S* is a 47 year old widow from another village in the area. Her cow and goat are the only means through which her family survives. The nearest water facility is a well 3km away. The WaterWheel is very useful for her, because it allows her to fetch more water as well as saving time to concentrate on her other work.

WaterWheels also helps to improve the lives of people living with HIV. An individual needs approximately 100 litres of water per day to meet their basic needs; personal hygiene, laundering, drinking, food preparation, and taking antiretroviral drugs - these are more effective when taken with adequate food and at least 1.5 litres of safe drinking water per day (USAID, 2007). It is equally important that people living with HIV and their caregivers are aware of good health and hygiene practices to reduce the risk of infection from other diseases which can affect health.

Thanks to funds raised through supporters like you, RED International has given 20 WaterWheels to families caring for people living with HIV from the Dharmapuri region. The provision of a WaterWheel together with training on hygiene, sanitation, how to identify safe and unsafe sources, and how to improve the safety of drinking water has changed the way water is collected, helping families draw enough safe water to meet those basic needs.

We long to see stories like these multiplied. Please share this opportunity so that more communities can be reached with hope, help and hygiene.

*names changed

The HIV status of those photographed is unknown.