BENEFICIARY
This year, Green with Music has chosen Wherever the Need as our charitable beneficiary.
MISSION STATEMENT
Wherever the Need's focus is the alleviation of poverty and ill-health for people in developing countries.
This is primarily undertaken through the funding and implementation of water, eco-sanitation and livelihood programmes in a manner that will empower both individuals and communities without undermining their tradition and culture.
Wherever possible, it works on projects that are naturally sustainable, and implements them through processes that are environmentally sensitive.
Lack of sanitation and poor hygiene are responsible for the
transmission of diarrhea, cholera, typhoid and other parasitic
infections. 3.5 billion people in the world are infected with
helminth worm. In Ethiopia, where 250,000 children die
annually from sanitation and hygiene related illness, 60% of its
current disease burden is attributable to poor sanitation.
People suffering from some form of sanitation or water derived
illness occupy half the world’s hospital beds. It is estimated
that 25% of a poor family’s income in a developing country is
spent on medication or health care. For people living on or
below the poverty line, all of the above statistics mean less work, less education
and therefore less opportunity. The downward cycle of poverty continues.
Inadequate sanitation and unsafe water disproportionately impacts the poor,
especially women. Women can spend an average of 15-17 hours every week
collecting water and young
girls, already disadvantaged by
cultures that determine that
males should receive better
education and opportunity,
often need to miss school
during menstruation, resulting
in many parents withdrawing
them from the education
system completely. Half of the
girls who drop out of school in
sub-Saharan Africa do so
because of the lack of access to
sanitation and water facilities.