Shelterbox Canada News for April 2021

ShelterBox Update April 2021

SHELTERBOX: Water, just like shelter, is a human right.

Whoever you are, wherever you are – you are entitled to clean, safe water. But today, billions of people around the world do not have access to clean and safe water. According to WHO/UNICEF, 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services.

When disasters hit, it forces families out of the homes, making it difficult to access clean drinking water. Disasters cause a huge amount of damage and destruction. Water hand pumps break, and local water sources get filled up with debris, dirt, or chemicals, making it unsafe to drink.

When families are unable to access clean water, water filters can help produce safe drinking water. ShelterBox distributes water filters to families which can turn up to 1,000 litres of unsafe water into clean, safe, drinkable water. These water filters can remove viruses, bacteria, pathogens, chemical, heavy metals, and fecal matter that can be found in contaminated water.

Meet Maïramu. Maïramu and her family of 7 became displaced after their village in Nigeria was attacked by Boko Haram. Like many refugees, the most difficult problem that Maïramu faces daily is access to safe drinking water. “We started to get sick. After a while, I noticed that my children and I were having frequent stomach aches and diarrhea. I realized it was caused by the water.”

After receiving a ShelterBox water filter, Maïramu and her family no longer suffer from sickness and diarrhea. “Thanks to the filter, I can assure you that our problems concerning water are no longer related to sickness, but to distance, because we still have to travel a long way to collect it. Today, we drink water without fear.”

Having access to clean water reduces the risk of illness caused by bacteria and other pathogens found in dirty water. By providing families with water containers and water filters, we can make safe drinking water one less thing to worry about. To learn more about how you can support families with clean water after disasters, visit: https://www.shelterboxcanada.org/world-water-day-provide-clean-water/

WHERE WE'RE WORKING NOW:

Read our Current Operations to see more countries your support is working in.

In Sri Lanka, Rotarians supported us with translation, transportation, local knowledge and connections with local authorities to provide shelter for communities after landslides caused mass devastation. In Peru, Rotary not only helped us identify families in need of support following heavy rainfall and flooding, but aided us in distributing ShelterKits to repair and rebuild homes.

An exciting new development in our partnership is the creation of a new operations base in the Philippines. This in-country office was created by working closely with Rotary groups, and will allow us to get vital emergency shelter to vulnerable families even quicker.

ShelterBox has responded to disasters in the Philippines 25 times and we have worked together with Rotary in every response. Collaborating with Rotary to create ShelterBox Operations Philippines was a natural next step.

Find out more with this film which was premiered at the Rotary International Convention in Toronto, just before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the stage.