Achieving access to safe water has never been more important, and we must work together to make significant progress and a long-lasting impact.
Jean-Louis Dufresne
CEO, One Drop Foundation
Hermann Lampron
Officer, Content Management and Communications, One Drop Foundation
To strive towards global health, gender equality, climate resilience, and the reduction of inequalities affecting indigenous communities worldwide, the One Drop Foundation strongly believes that we must first address humanity’s most fundamental need: universal access to safe water.
This is why reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6) — safe water and sanitation for everyone—is so crucial to us all. To get there — and to foster positive behavior change at all levels — we need to go beyond infrastructure and engage with communities on both the rational and emotional levels. This is where the power of art comes in.
We all know that water powers life, but social art empowers communities to lead their own change. Through the One Drop Foundation’s Social Art for Behaviour ChangeTM approach and alongside international partners, water and local art dovetail to create a ripple effect of positive impact. Today, in many places around the world, this positive impact is extending beyond the scope of SDG 6.
How we have been helping
For example, in Mali, where new and improved water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure enables young girls to meet their basic menstrual hygiene needs, social art activities are helping communities address gender-specific barriers to promote girls’ education. In Haiti, water access and social art do not stop at improving hygiene practices, they are also empowering people to lead their own change, find ways to express themselves, and gain confidence in their health system.
In India, artists lead activities such as street theatre shows to raise awareness around climate and environmental issues, helping mitigate the risks of exposure to unsafe water sources. In Latin America, the Lazos de Agua Program has harnessed the power of water and art to improve the lives of 200,000 people. With its second phase starting in 2023, this program will further scale its impact, share knowledge, and mobilize around the SDGs.
On October 9, 2022, you can help us to turn water into action! Everyone in the world is invited to join “Water in Action”, a fun run in support of the One Drop Foundation’s mission. Please visit waterinaction.com to participate.
To learn more about One Drop Foundation, visit onedrop.org.
To learn more about the Lazos de Agua Program, visit lazosdeagua.org.
