November, 2014—According to the United Nations, 2.5 billion people—more than a quarter of the world’s population—do not have access to improved sanitation. What is “improved sanitation”? An improved sanitation facility is defined as a latrine that “hygienically separates human excreta from human contact.” Unfortunately, one billion people still defecate in the open, not only seriously contaminating their water sources, but also making women and girls vulnerable to violence.
Samaritan’s Purse builds latrines whenever possible as part of our Water Projects. Here are some photos from the Philippines, where we are building 10,000 latrines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan which struck in late 2013. Click here to read more about what Samaritan’s Purse is doing to help the Philippines continue to recover.
Save the life of a child or adult in a developing country by providing safe water along with health and hygiene education that will help protect them from deadly, but preventable, diseases. Simple and effective water filters, community wells and water storage solutions, and sanitation facilities can all drastically improve lives and open doors to share the eternal hope of Jesus Christ.