Bringing Clean Water One Premium at a Time

by Zarah Patriana · 2009-03-23 14:51:00 UTC
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Yesterday, March 22nd marked the UN's World Water Day. World Water Day was established in order to bring attention to the pressing issue of over 1 billion people worldwide that lack access to clean, safe drinking water. On this day, people come together to educate one another on this issue and encourage collective action to help find a solution.

While World Water Day takes place once a year, people and groups are working year round to tackle the problem. Artisans and producers in other countries are often victims to the water scarcity problem, and it is through the Fair Trade that they are taking matters into their own hands to bring clean water into their communities.

Through Fair Trade social premiums, the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative in Ghana have instituted social projects in their communities to construct wells and boreholes for drinking water and toilet facilities.

Over in Sri Lanka, the rubber producers that the Autonomie Project works with have been able to see the benefits of Fair Trade to their community. According to Autonomie Project, the rubber producers did not have a reliable source of water close to their homes so they ended up having to walk miles away carrying heavy buckets to gather water for drinking, cleaning and cooking. These water sources were oftentimes unreliable and the producers were prone to water-borne diseases such as dysentery.

After working with Autonomie Project, the producers were not only working under Fair Trade conditions, but they were also receiving a Fair Trade premium. In 2007, the producers used that premium to provide a clean piped water system that was able to bring clean running water to the 65 families in the community. No more walking miles with away to gather water -- the water was now available right in front of their homes.

Stories like this exist throughout Fair Trade producer communities worldwide of to find a solution to the water scarcity problem in their communities.

Taking action to fight the problem should take place everyday. Learn how you can get involved.

Zarah Patriana
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