RICHMOND, VA, Mar. 22, 2012 -- ChildFund International celebrates World Water Day and the recent news that half of the world's population has access to safe drinking water. Despite that progress, 783 million people remain without access to clean water. Forty percent of them live in sub-Saharan Africa, which is why ChildFund is continuing its efforts there.

In 12 neighborhoods of Buee, a town in southwestern Ethiopia, community members worked with ChildFund to develop several springs and wells and a borehole into sources of safe water. More than 8,000 people have benefited, and eight schools now have safe drinking water for their students. A trained water management committee maintains the water sources.

Thanks to ChildFund's sponsors and donors, ChildFund works with community partners to develop water sources and facilities for use by the community and schools. ChildFund also educates children and family members about healthy practices like hand washing, food safety and waste disposal.

In 2000, world leaders gathered at the United Nations' Millennium Summit and signed on to what became known as the Millennium Development Goals -- targets for reducing extreme poverty by 2015. A World Health Organization report recently announced that as of 2010, 89 percent of the global population had access to clean water.

ChildFund International is a global child development and protection agency serving more than 13.5 million children and their family members in 31 countries. For more than 70 years, we have helped the world's deprived, excluded and vulnerable children survive and thrive to reach their full potential and become leaders of enduring change. As a member of ChildFund Alliance we create supportive environments in which children can flourish. To sponsor a child in need, visit the ChildFund website - www.childfund.org

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