Each year in Africa, 40 billion hours are spent just on fetching water.
In sub-Saharan Africa and many other areas around the world, children must walk an average of four miles each way, every day, just to provide water for their families. This takes hours.
The consequences are tragic. Children have no time for school.
Even if they had time, the water they drink keeps them too sick to attend school.
Globally, children lose 443 million school days each year because of waterborne illnesses. And every year, 400 million children become infected with worms, which severely limits their learning potential.
But when children have access to clean water, school enrollment increases and education improves, further reducing poverty.