WASH United Africa
This project's parent organization is WASH United
It operates in Germany
It uses Football (Soccer) and Cricket
Entered the Best New Project
More about WASH United Africa
Unknown to most, preventable diarrhea caused by dirty water, lack of toilets and poor hygiene is now the biggest killer of African children, taking more young lives than HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined. In Africa alone 1,500 children die needlessly every day. Yet sanitation and hygiene in particular remain largely ignored by the media and severely neglected in national and international development, particularly if compared to more attractive issues like health and education.
WASH United uses the power of football to tackle this crisis in three ways: Firstly, WASH United uses football-based games and educational materials to educate children and adolescents in schools and youth football teams about the crucial importance of safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and to facilitate life-saving behavior change. Secondly, WASH United uses the positive passion for football and the involvement of stars like Didier Drogba to break the media silence on sanitation and hygiene and to move these issues from the shadow of taboo into the spotlight of public discussion. Thirdly, WASH United uses sport as a door opener to lobby political decision makers for the realization of the human right to water and sanitation at international and national level.