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In Mali, 23% of the children do not reach the age of five. One of the main reasons is the lack of safe drinking water.
“Article 24” is a nine minute documentary about what we are doing to remedy this situation. Attention is focused on the role of children in spreading the message of good hygiene.
-->> view film
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"We, are very happy with the sanitary facilities you provided to us. We are well prepared to give good hygiene education in school, to our family and to the community. Our teachers and parents promise to use the facilities well."
- Participant in hygiene class.
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2005 - 2007
Clean water for 32,000
This was our first Providing Essentials for Children project.
As a result of our efforts, 32,000 children at 75 schools can drink clean water in the Gao region of Mali. Each school now has hygiene education and properly functioning toilets with separate facilities for boys and girls.
In these schools, there were no reported cases of Guinea worm in 2008. |
At a glance
Population
Life expectancy
Child mortality under 5 years
Child mortality under 1 year
Access to clean drinking water
Access to sanitation facilities
Boys that go to school
Girls that go to school
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13.5 million
48 years
218 children per 1000
120 children per 1000
35%
31%
45%
33%
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Mali is a land of contrasts. The south is fertile with a tropical climate. The northern part is in the Sahara. The desert is steadily advancing south. The drought and heat make life hard. Many children die of diseases related to contaminated water and a lack of hygiene.
In northern Mali, most people have no reliable facilities for drinking water. Good sanitation facilities are lacking. The little water there is becomes contaminated. The great majority of schools have no access to clean drinking water or toilets. Children become ill from drinking contaminated water or because they infect each other.
Due to the lack of separate toilets for girls, many parents keep them at home. Furthermore, it is the task of women and children to fetch water for the family and they often have to walk a great distance. This is another reason many girls do not attend school. |
