The table is where life happens. It’s where families eat, children learn, and communities gather. But without safe water, the table collapses.
In Namsapuran, a village perched on a remote mountainside in Nepal, the community had been grappling with severe water scarcity for decades. The nearest water source was a steep 45-minute walk away; the existing pipes and tank – laid 40 years prior – were extensively damaged, and residents resorted to using old clothing to temporarily plug the leaks.
What was supposed to be the community’s lifesource was keeping them from flourishing.
That changed when local partner Share and Care Nepal mobilised the community to restore the water system, with every household sharing in the labour, and working together to form a Drinking Water Committee to advocate for assistance from local authorities. Today, all 30 households in Namsapuran have 24-hour access to running water. Families grow food in kitchen gardens. Health and hygiene have improved.
“Water has changed this community,” says Selpon Tamang, who chairs the committee. Another member adds: “Before we had to walk to collect water, and the old water source area was very muddy and had poor sanitation. Now we have clean drinking water and less illness!” With the installation of water facilities at the local school, there’s been a noticeable impact on children’s education and school attendance too.
Globally, access to safe water is under increasing threat. In 2024, only one- third of the world’s river basins were considered “normal.” The rest swung violently between drought and flood. Climate chaos and conflict are turning water into something people can no longer rely on.
The human cost is devastating. Every day, 1,000 children under five die from preventable waterborne diseases – 1,000 empty seats at family tables. In conflict zones, a child is three times more likely to die from a waterborne stomach bug than from a bullet. The cure is simple and known: clean, safe, reliable water. Tearfund’s partners are working with communities in some of the most water- insecure regions of the world to restore the flow of this God-given gift of life.
In a world shaped by climate chaos and conflict, safe water restores balance. It keeps children alive, girls in school, crops growing, and families together.
Give a family or community the gift of safe water or sanitation for a healthy life.
