Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)

Tearfund’s approach to water, sanitation and hygiene

To break free from poverty, communities need reliable access to:

• clean water
• safe sanitation
• healthy hygiene habits
• sanitation and hygiene items

We combine these essential elements in our WASH work so that everyone can experience the benefits of improved health and wellbeing.

Working with communities

We help communities take charge of their own water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. We support local groups to manage these services and connect them with local people who can help fix and maintain facilities for the long term.

Working with local governments

Tearfund teams up with local governments to make sure that people have clean water and safe, working toilets. We do this by influencing policy, advocating for change, and supporting the development of local policies. Governments should be responsible for these services and we help people hold their government to account for this.

Access to clean water

Lack of access to clean water puts lives at risk every day in communities around the world:

• 2 billion people worldwide do not have safely managed drinking water services.
• 3.6 billion people do not have safely managed sanitation services.
• 3 billion people lack basic handwashing facilities.
• More than 443,000 children under the age of five die each year through diarrhoeal diseases alone. That’s more than 1,000 children every day.

Access to water isn’t just about survival. It’s essential for countless daily activities such as bathing, cleaning, farming, and cooking.

Tearfund makes sure communities have clean water. We help people build and repair water systems. We support local groups and give them the tools to manage the water supply. We help them plan for changing weather patterns so that they will be more resilient to the worst effects of the climate crisis.

Safe sanitation

Everyone should have a safe, private, and comfortable toilet.

Tearfund works with local communities to help them find the best toilet solutions for their needs. People work together to decide what they want. They use their own resources to find lasting options at low cost.

We also build toilets in places like schools, hospitals, and camps for people who have been forced to leave their homes because of conflict. We support teams to manage them effectively.

Healthy hygiene 

We know that just giving people clean water and toilets doesn’t stop them from getting sick. Teaching them about hygiene isn’t enough either. That's why we work to change hygiene habits. 

We find out what gets in the way of people’s hygiene habits. We focus on habits like washing hands, because that’s one of the best ways to stop sickness from spreading.

Supplying WASH essentials

During times of disaster and conflict, we make sure that WASH kits that are culturally appropriate are available to families. We’ve provided more than 223,400 families with WASH and hygiene kits since 2020 to help people keep healthy and safe hygiene habits.

We also provide dignity kits for women and girls and people with incontinence to help them manage their hygiene safely and with dignity. Since 2020 we’ve provided more than 48,600 women and girls with dignity kits to help them safely manage their periods.