GIVE CLEAN WATER TO NEEDY COMMUNITIES IN CAMEROON.

Water scarcity is the difference between the demand for freshwater and its available supply, resulting in a shortage where not everyone can access sufficient water. It can be physical, where there isn’t enough water to go around, or economic, where a country or population’s infrastructure is lacking to access or distribute the water that is available. 

As someone who was born and raised in Cameroon, I can tell you that water scarcity is very evident here in sub-Saharan Africa. Many homes and institutions are still struggling to gain access to clean and safe water. Women and children walk for long distances to fetch water every day, and some families have no option but to consume water that is dirty and contaminated. It is sad that people still lack access to clean water in this 21st century, but I am glad that Integrated Agricultural Association (IAA) ensures that communities and schools are accessing clean and safe water in Cameroon.

Some people are blessed because they have never encountered a lack of water at home or at school. A lack of access to clean water is a reality for many communities and institutions here in Cameroon, and it negatively affects them. 

Growing up as a young boy, fetching water from the river was a part of me because it was one of my chores at home. I used to give fetching water early in the morning top priority before the water would get contaminated during the day. For me, contamination would mean animals drinking water from the river and other human activities around the riverbank like washing clothes, bathing, and farming. Now, I know that water from any open source is contaminated and unsafe to drink.

Growing up in Northwestern Cameroon, seeing women and children searching for water was very common in the communities. And working with Integrated Agricultural Association today made me realize that water scarcity impacts the lives of people negatively. Men, women, and children are forced to walk for long distances looking for clean and safe water, and this wastes a lot of time that they could be using to do other activities and improve their well-being. Schoolgoing children spend a lot of time looking for water, forcing them to miss classes, leading to poor performance.

Working with IAA for the past eight years has been a blessing to me because I am able to interact with the men, women, and children in the communities we serve every day. We not only talk about water, but also water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Anytime we visit a community, the people there are hopeful that IAA will solve their problems by providing clean water, and it has been so. Give clean water today to a community in need through GlobalGiving!

With gratitudes!