Waterborne diseases are the second largest killer of children under five. Each day, 4,200 children die from water-related diseases, and 900 million people around the world are without access to safe drinking water1. UNICEF’s Tap Project is working to change that by raising money to support clean water programs with a simple $1 donation. That single dollar can provide a child with safe drinking water for 40 days.



Photo by hdptcar

The Tap Project was started in 2007 in New York City, with participating restaurants asking their customers to donate $1 for the tap water they would usually get for free, with all of the funds going to support UNICEFâ€™s projects to give clean water to the millions of children around the world without it.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0zBxDFg7YM

The initial project in 2007 involved 300 restaurants in New York City, but has now grown to over 2,300 across the US in 2008. Corporations, restaurants, volunteers, community groups, and local governments worked together to save millions of childrenâ€™s lives through the Tap Project.

This year, during World Water Week (March 22-28, 2009), the Tap Project is once again raising both funds and awareness for UNICEFâ€™s clean water and sanitation efforts. For each dollar donated, one child can have clean drinking water for 40 days. That’s amazing to me. One dollar won’t even buy a cup of coffee in the US, so to imagine providing a kid with clean water for 40 days, preventing waterborne illnesses from taking another life, is simply awesome.

Here is a heart-wrenching video that attempts to personalize the desperate situation of mothers and fathers whose children don’t have access to drinking water:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrKzvHdsq3I

You can help by becoming a Tap Project Campaign Volunteer, by patronizing a participating restaurant, or by simply donating to the Tap Project.

Tap Project donations will be used to support UNICEF’s clean water programs.

“UNICEF works in more than 90 countries around the world to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities, and to promote safe hygiene practices. Every dollar donated to the Tap Project will be used to support these programs. Funds collected will be allocated to the countries and areas UNICEF has identified as most in need.”

1UNICEF Tap Project