Welcome to the 2010 Walk for Water, organized and sponsored by Portland Roasting Coffee. Our World Water Day fundraising event takes place around the shores of the Willamette River in downtown Portland, Ore., on Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Facts about the world’s water crisis

Access to clean drinking water is a critical for human survival and is an essential ingredient for improving the lives of those living in poverty in developing countries.  Yet:

  • Worldwide, 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and each year, more than 2.2 million people in developing countries die from preventable diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
  • The average American uses 100 to 175 gallons of water at home each day when an African family uses about 5 gallons of water each day.
  • Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease.
  • 88 percent of all diseases are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
  • At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.
  • 40 billion hours each year are spent collecting water in sub-Saharan Africa, equal to over 19 million full-time employees.
  • The weight of the water container that women in Africa carry on their heads is equivalent to the baggage weight allowed by airlines (20 kg/44 lbs)
  • Many women and young girls in developing countries must walk as much as six miles every day to retrieve water for their families.

All this can changewfa-logo_new1

Water For All, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, provides clean drinking water to schools and communities across Africa. Since the founding of the non-profit organization in 2004, Water For All has provided access to clean water to hundreds of schools and communities throughout Africa.

As part of Water For All’s customized approach, the organization consults with local communities and in-country advisors to assess each school or community’s water needs and determine which water technology is most appropriate. Water For All uses a range of water technologies such as merry-go-round pumps, wind powered pumps, solar pumps, hand pumps, and purification systems.