Someone – usually a child – is dying every 30 seconds in the developing world from diarrheal diseases caused by contaminated water. Those who survive are often plagued by sickness that makes it difficult for children to go to school and adults to work and support their families. In this way, unsafe water traps people in a never-ending cycle of poverty.

Lifewater Canada is breaking that cycle by providing safe, accessible water. But we urgently need to do it in many more communities. Lifewater drills water wells and repairs or replaces well hand pumps in Africa and Haiti. We also install rainwater catchment and storage systems, construct community toilets and hand-washing stations, and provide health and hygiene training. More than 8.5 million people are benefiting from these projects each day.

Easy access to safe water is a key factor. In many parts of the world, people must walk long distances for their water. Due to cultural norms, it is usually girls and women who do the water gathering. The time required for it each day prevents many girls from attending school. Our nearby wells enable girls to get back into the classroom and pursue a much brighter future for themselves and their families.

Charity Intelligence, the independent organization that monitors more than 800 non-profits across Canada, has for SIX consecutive years ranked Lifewater as one of Canada’s top 10 overall in terms of the impact donors achieve through their investment. Charity Intelligence estimates that for every dollar invested in Lifewater, we achieve $11 of social and economic impact on behalf of our donors. The average among all Canadian charities is $1.50 for every $1 donated, Charity Intelligence says.

Charity Intelligence has applauded Lifewater for several key attributes, including our accountability to donors (every water project is documented, including photos and GPS coordinates, on our website) and our cost-efficiency (we consistently keep our annual fundraising and administration costs below 10%, including 7.8% in fiscal 2023).