Africa is in the midst of crippling poverty due to the AIDS pandemic, malaria, and unclean drinking water, combined with up to 90% unemployment.
In Zambia, one in five people have HIV or AIDS. There are 572,000 AIDS orphans. Zambia is ranked number 13 among the highest infant mortality rates of all the countries of the world. Over 54% percent of children aged 3–59 months experience stunted growth because of malnutrition in Zambia.
Lack of clean water is at the root of many of these problems. Imagine that every glass of water you drink is a cup of sickness and disease. Diarrhea, headaches and dehydration are a common part of every day life. Cholera, typhoid and bilharzias outbreaks are commonplace.
People are in desperate need of:
- Clean drinking water
- More efficient food production
- Basic hygiene training
- Education, which promotes hope for the future
In partnership with CIDA, the Center for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology designated SHIP as a WASH Center of Expertise for Africa. This allows us to be among the first in the world to implement innovative WASH technologies, and provides us with a platform to build capacity in other organizations throughout Africa and around the world through trainings and learning exchanges. While we are strongest in WASH projects (drilling boreholes, hand pump repair, BioSand filters for point-of-use treatment, participatory community hygiene trainings), our approach is holistic, taking into consideration all of the needs and strengths of the people we serve.