CLEAN WATER FOR ZIMBABWE’S RURAL PEOPLE
Pure Water – A Neglected Need
Contaminated drinking water poses a serious problem and is a leading cause of death in developing countries. Statistics depict that 3.4 million People, mostly children, die from water-related diseases each year. Nearly one half of the world’s population is suffering from debilitating water-related diseases. It has been estimated that water-borne pathogens account for 90 percent of the deaths of children each year three (UNICEF/WHO, 2000).
While there are numerous organizations working to build clean water delivery systems in urban areas of the developing countries, the need for safe drinking water in rural communities gets far less attention. Although some are developing some semblance of a water infrastructure in place, the water that is distributed is contaminated. Bad water kills people! Diseases such as cholera, hepatitis, typhoid, dysentery, guinea worm, and more are all a result of contaminated water. Poor farmers and wage earners are less productive due to illness, and national economies suffer. Without safe water and sanitation, sustainable development is impossible.
Less than 1% of the earth’s water is fresh water, and only about one-third of this 1% is available for human use. Unfortunately, almost all of this water is contaminated. In the developing world, contaminated water accounts for 80% of all diseases and claims the lives of 5 million children a year. (World Vision)
There is a great needed in these communities to make safe drinking water available. It is to this specific need that this grant proposal is directed.
Project Logistics: Pure Water for Zimbabwe’s Rural People
Building a water purification system is not that difficult. The trick is figuring out how to create a project that will be sustainable over a long period of time in a community where resources are in short supply. An affordable easy installation and easy maintenance water purification system can be obtained from New Life International (NLI), a 501(c) 3, non-profit organization that specializes in humanitarian and developmental activities. One of the largest outreach programs of New Life International is to providing safe water to the world.
The Technology
The New Life International Water Purifier is a unique system that creates chlorine from table salt to disinfect water and make it safe for drinking. It is a simple, light-weight, cost-effective water purification system designed and constructed for use in harsh environmental conditions with minimal resources. The water purifier uses electricity (AC or battery), table salt and water to create chlorine which kills harmful bacteria in the water. The purifier can treat up to 55 gallons per minute depending upon water quality and the size of the unit.
