It’s often said that ‘water is life’. Breaking free from poverty is impossible without sustainable access to clean water, secure sanitation services and improved hygiene practices. Wherever Tearfund works to provide water and sanitation, we coordinate these three areas, to have a bigger impact on improving community health and wellbeing.
Sunday 3 November
Currently, around 700 million people live without access to safe water. This exposes them to the risk of diarrhoea and other diseases. Pray for protection from the dangers of unsafe water and a multiplying of the work to improve access.
Monday 4 November
Uganda is one country that struggles with a scarcity of clean water. Girls as young as five years old walk great distances on rough terrain often twice a day to collect water. This prevents them from attending school and can leave them vulnerable to attack. Pray for clean water to reach all communities to provide every child with a safe and better future.
Tuesday 5 November
Reflect on all the ways you have used water today for your daily activities such as drinking, cleaning, washing and cooking. On average, a single-person household in the UK uses 149 litres of water daily. Pray that more people around the world will enjoy the benefits of water and sanitation.
Wednesday 6 November
‘For I was... thirsty and you gave me something to drink... whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:35, 40). Pray that these words of Jesus would inspire more churches to help bring water to their communities.
Thursday 7 November
To ensure new water services can provide clean and safe water for years to come, Tearfund works closely with the community. Time is invested in training, water and sanitation management groups and hygiene facilitators. Pray for the successful training of community members in these skills.
Friday 8 November
Give thanks for how fresh water changes lives. Before a village water tap was installed in her community in Uganda, Priscilla sometimes went without food due to the lack of water to prepare it. The water she could get was often contaminated. ‘We often had diseases like dysentery and ringworm in the community,’ she says. Safe water within a short distance has brought transformation. ‘I’ve got time to make money and grow food,’ says Priscilla. ‘Life is so much easier now.’
Saturday 9 November
Lord, we lift to you our world where people struggle to meet such a basic need as having clean water. Stir our hearts to remember them and open our eyes to how we can change their lives. Thank you for the work currently happening in so many communities, supporting them to build and maintain water systems that will change lives. Amen.
