Meimunatu, a 41-year-old mother in Ghana, already lost one child to waterborne illness. Now, every trip to the turbid pond near her house brings fears of the unseen contaminants she might be collecting in her water container.

October 2008

By Esperanza Ampah, World Vision Ghana, and Peter Warski, World Vision U.S.

Meimunatu takes Abdulai, her baby boy, and hoists him on her back for their daily 10-minute walk to the pond near their home in Kpalang, Ghana. She also carries a large container and calabash, a wooden ladle used for collecting water.

Today, the water at the pond — usually murky and muddy — is much clearer than normal, thanks to rains that caused flooding for much of the region. But this quality brings no consolation to Meimunatu, who knows all too well what might be lurking in the water she collects for her toddler son.

She already lost one baby boy to severe diarrhea, an ailment attributed to his consumption of contaminated water. Now, every trip to the pond brings back painful memories of what happened already — and what could happen again to Abdulai.

Unrelenting anxiety

Little Abdulai has already had a close call of his own. When he was just 6 months old, he also fell sick with a high fever. "His temperature was high, but we couldn't take him to the hospital because it is expensive for us," Meimunatu says. "My husband bought medicine from a drug store…because that was cheaper."

Thankfully, Abdulai recovered, but now even mild illness causes fear for his mother. "I am happy to have another son, but I am still afraid for his life," she says.

Meimunatu isn't alone in her trials. During the dry season in this West African community, life becomes nearly unbearable as the pond nearly dries up and animals compete with humans for what little filthy water is left. Some residents walk up to three hours to seek water from a river in the region.

Sadly, the water situation in Kpalang is reflective of much of the developing world.

Working to bring relief

World Vision has seen the magnitude and implications of this crisis. Globally, nearly 1 billion people lack access to a source of clean water, and the consequences are devastating: Frequent waterborne illness deprives children of the energy they need to stay in school, and adults, the energy they need to continue income-generating activities. Without clean water, other diseases cannot be fought effectively. The result is a vicious cycle of poverty and despair.

In 2005, Kpalang was identified as being one of several Ghana communities in need of a clean water source through the West Africa Water Initiative, a partnership between World Vision and the Hilton Foundation. The initiative seeks to provide these areas with permanent sources of potable water through digging wells, installing hand pumps, implementing piping and purification systems, and similar methods.

During that year, several attempts were made to drill a well in Kpalang, but all efforts came up dry. So World Vision is now in the latter stages of planning a pipeline to connect the community with a water treatment plant in the nearby city of Tamale. In the meantime, World Vision is distributing household filters to area residents.

'I'm scared for this baby'

For a mother like Meimunatu, such assistance can't come quickly enough. She worries constantly for the safety of her child and has learned how to filter and boil. But she knows there is no substitute for a permanent source of potable water.

"Please help us get clean water. My child before Abdulai died from diarrhea. I'm scared for this baby. Please help us," Meimunatu pleads earnestly.

Through World Vision's efforts, her fears will soon be eased. But countless other children and families face similar circumstances and still need help.