Wherever the Need: Alleviating Poverty Through the Empowerment of People

Organization: Wherever the Need
Author: Rhiannon Adler

Why focus on good health?

The basic foundation for any form of prosperity is good health. Nobody functions efficiently or confidently if they are continually ill.

Effective sanitation and clean water are the primary means of reducing death and illness. Some 2.2 million children under five die every year because of inadequate sanitation and unsafe water. Yet between 1997 and 2008, total development aid for sanitation and water fell from eight per cent to five per cent. Improve health and people will have the energy, confidence and strength to commit to both educational and livelihood programmes.

Our four year contribution

Over the next 4 years and beyond, we will be continuing our work to alleviate poverty. To improve people’s health we firstly implement ecological sanitation (ecosan), which are more commonly known as compostable toilets. These are a much more sustainable alternative to the pit toilets that are often built, as human matter can be utilised as a very effective fertiliser. As they are dry toilets, they also help deal with issues of water scarcity.

Secondly, we ensure there is a clean reliable water supply available, further improving people’s health.

To move from dependence to independence, people must have the confidence and opportunity to provide for themselves. Thirdaly, we help to set up locally sustainable livelihood programmes that are not at the mercy of global markets.

Our fundamental aim is to ensure that there is a sustainable local market without undermining culture and traditions.

Working towards independence

With good health and an income, the cycle of poverty endemic in the developing world can be stopped. We have already proven that with these in place people are empowered to take control of their own lives rather than depend on others.

We keep our website updated with completed and current ongoing projects, so you can see for yourself the difference our work makes to the lives of others. Browse our projects here:


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