OUR NEW CAMPAIGN - 'We Fund Water Projects, Not Just Wells'

At Empower, we are committed to providing Sub-Saharan African communities with safe and clean water to unlock opportunities for young girls, enabling them to live and learn without the burden of water collection for their home.

We believe people can change everything.

That's why, alongside The Water Project, we are launching a brand new campaign 'We Fund Water Projects, Not Just Wells'.

You can dig a whole closer to the community, you can snap a photo of water flowing and claim it as a success however we believe change will only come with sustainable development. Our goal isn't merely to get water flowing, but to have clean water flowing for years and years to come.

Empower is working very hard to build long-term, truly sustainable water projects that are held to a measurable standard of success over the long term. We're less interested in an ever growing tally of projects than we are in seeing lives changed (TWP, 2015).

Empower works closely with local in-country teams and partners to develop clean water programs alongside our hero volunteer, as well as the incredible local community. We carefully select implementing partners who have long term relationships and commitments to the people they serve.

The Process

Community Engagement
Ensure the communities we serve are involved at every step of the process.

Community Education
Clean, safe water can be a new concept in a village. Understanding concepts like hand-washing and proper use of latrines is key to maximizing the benefits of a new well.

Installing the Project
From filing for permits to installing a well pump or other hardware, a lot goes into the construction phase of a water project like a well. We ensure the installation is sustainable, thorough and environmentally friendly.

Education Follow-up and Handing Over
The exciting moment when water flows and a community celebrates their new water source is just the beginning.

Monitoring and Evaluation
Did it work? Is it still working? Was anyone really helped? If we don't ask, we'll never know. 

With this process, Empower have changed hundreds of people's lives and with your help, we know we can help thousands and thousands more.

When you donate, you are unlocking opportunities for an entire community. Opportunities that at the moment, they can only dream about.

Make their dreams come true. Donate today, for a freer and happier tomorrow.

Empower | Women and Water Quiz

Here at Empower, we believe being informed and aware of situations happening around the world is crucial for our understanding in how we can help.

How about joining in our quiz? Be sure to let us know of your answers on Twitter - no cheating!

1. How many times as likely as boys are girls under the age of 15 expected to be the family member responsible for fetching water?

2. What % of households rely on women to get the family's water when there is no water source in the home?

3. How many hours does Sub-Saharan Africa alone lose per year collecting water?

4. Half of the HIV – infected population in all but four of the forty-eight countries that comprise SSA are women (Lewis, 2009). TRUE or FALSE?

5. What is the average distance that women and children walk for water in Africa?

6. How many hours do women and girls living without a toilet spend finding a place to go each day?

7. What is the average weight of water women in Africa carry on their heads?

8. Women are responsible for 72% of the water collected in Sub-Saharan Africa. TRUE or FALSE?

9.What % do women reinvest of their income back into their own households in Africa, compared to 30-40% by men?

10. How many school days are lost each year due to water-related diseases?

1. Twice as likely
2. 64%
3. 40 billion hours
4. TRUE.
5. Six kilometers (3.7 miles).
6. 266 million hours
7. 50 pounds
8. TRUE
9. 90%
10. 443 million

"Remember, you can donate with one click of a button to empower African girls today, for a freer and happier tomorrow."

References:
- Africastories.org (2015) 'Africastories — Africa Water Crisis — World Water Facts'.Available at http://www.africastories.org/africa-water-crisis/world-water-facts/ Accessed on Web. 26 Nov 2015.
- Charitywater.org,(2015) 'Why Water? Impact Of The Global Water Crisis'. Available at http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/. Accessed on Web. 26 Nov. 2015.
-  Gender.cawater-info.net. (2015) 'Facts About Women And Water'.Available at http://www.gender.cawater-info.net/what_is/facts_e.htm. Accessed on Web. 26 Nov. 2015.
- The Water Project. (2015) 'Empower The Girl Child. Give Water.'. Available at http://thewaterproject.org/. Accessed on Web. 26 Nov. 2015.
- Water for the Ages. (2009) '10 Facts On Women And Water'. Available at http://waterfortheages.org/2009/12/02/10-facts-on-women-and-water/. Accessed on Web. 26 Nov. 2015.
- Water.org. (2015)'Water Crisis: Women & Children'. Available at http://water.org/water-crisis/women-children-facts/. Accessed on Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

Welcome to Empower.

Talk to any girl in Africa and she will tell you exactly what she wants.

She wants an education. She wants a career. She wants to make a contribution other than to the household.

She wants to be a teacher, a lawyer, a politician, a world leader.

A financially independent woman.

There’s something stopping these girls fulfilling their dreams. Fulfilling dreams that we take for granted.

Water.

Access to water.

Lack of access to safe water and sanitation is the primary reason girls drop out of school. African culture sees a women’s place as in the kitchen, looking after the family and collecting water for their household. In Sub Saharan African, 68% of the rural population spend more than 1 hour per trip of water collection making it impossible for girls to attend school.

Safe water unlocks a community’s girls to learn, to develop and to experience the life they want to lead.

Here at Empower, we need your help.

We need your help to give these girls the freedom to carry out their dreams and the only way to do this is with convenient access to safe and clean water.

Just £1 can make the difference.

Donate what you can and come on this journey with us, to empower these African girls today, for a freer and happier tomorrow.