Compassion International's 'Water of Life' Delivers Clean Water to More Than 200,000 Homes in 17 Developing Countries

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – March 20, 2015 – For many children in poverty, the arduous task of obtaining water can derail their daily lives, such as the ability to attend school, due to long distances to or contaminated sources that cause repeated sickness and disease. In 2014, UNICEF estimated that 1,400 children die each day from a lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Compassion International’s Complementary Interventions provide safe water, such as Water of Life filters for households of Compassion-assisted children, as well as other initiatives for Compassion school projects and communities where the ministry works.

Compassion, the world largest and fastest growing child development-through-sponsorship ministry, developed Water of Life in 2010 in response to the cholera outbreak in post-earthquake Haiti. To date, nearly 212,000 systems have been distributed into the homes of Compassion children in 17 countries, ensuring safe water that is critical to preserving the integrity and success of Compassion’s holistic child development programs.

The Water of Life filter system contains a bucket, hose, filter, connector and a syringe that is used occasionally for rinsing the filter with clean water. A $79 donation gives a child and his or her family one complete system that will yield 1 million gallons of safe water – enough for a lifetime. Training on use of Compassion Water of Life and hygiene education are provided with every system to ensure long-term results and improved health. More information can be found at compassion.com.

In addition to Compassion’s Water of Life filters, there are other ways to help bring safe water to those in need, including:

• Teach children about the global need for clean water with Compassion’s Step Into My Shoes (SIMS) toolkit, designed to educate families about life in poverty. The toolkit includes interactive activities for children ages 5-12, such as walking for clean water. Visit stepintomyshoes.org.
• Support water treatment projects through Compassion’s Complementary Interventions. Give toward the construction of water wells and sanitation facilities in communities that lack access to clean water.
• Advocate on behalf of those in need of better access to clean water by joining Compassion’s Volunteer and Advocate Network.
• Get educated at unwater.org.
• Spread the word by writing about the need for safe water in a blog or on social media. Share uplifting stories from blog.compassion.com about Compassion’s clean water initiatives.