What would you do for clean water? For almost 700 million people living without it, the answer is anything. And they do: they walk miles every day in treacherous conditions and extreme heat, just to access water that makes them sick or worse.

Currently, approximately 1 in 10 people worldwide live without access to clean water. (That's down from 771 million. About fifteen years ago, it was more than 1 billion!) Around the world, men, women and children still need access to safe, clean water. This negatively impacts their health, keeps children from attending school, disproportionately impacts females, and traps millions of people in a cycle of poverty. However, this all changes when solutions to access safe water are implemented. We’ve made amazing progress as a global community, but we still have plenty of important work to do together.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.charitywater.org/stories/the-numbers-are-improving

For the launch of our 24th water campaign, we focus on raising awareness about water bankruptcy. Water is fundamental to sustainable development, human well-being, and planetary health. When water systems fail, the effects are swift and far-reaching. The United Nations has declared the world has entered an era of global water bankruptcy, warning that many water systems are now chronically depleted and may never recover. A state of water bankruptcy is a systemic, permanent failure where water usage exceeds renewal, causing irreversible damage to ecosystems. A 2026 report from the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health states, as a result, about 4 billion people face severe water scarcity for at least one month each year. While 75 percent of the global population lives in water-insecure countries, the cost of water bankruptcy falls disproportionately on those who can least afford it. Scientists warn overuse, pollution and climate change are pushing rivers, aquifers and wetlands beyond repair, raising risks to food security, economies and global stability.

The global water bankruptcy is also a justice and security issue. Conflicts linked to water have surged sharply since 2010. The priority is no longer to "get back to normal," but to prevent further irreversible damage.

Serious investment in water can unlock progress across climate, biodiversity, land, food and health, and serve as a practical platform for cooperation within and between societies. Acting early, before stress hardens into irreversible loss, can reduce shared risks, strengthen resilience, and rebuild trust through tangible results.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://iefworld.org/Water_bankrupt

During Women's History Month, we are also highlighting how for hundreds of millions of people, being born female means that their life revolves around collecting water. It's a burden that limits opportunities, jeopardizes safety, and steals time—approximately 200 million hours each day worldwide. For example, in Africa, women spend about 40 billion hours a year walking for water! In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, women are responsible for 72% of the water collected and spend a total of 16 million hours a day collecting water.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.charitywater.org/stories/women-and-water

Since 2014, we’ve created Second Life fund-raisers through charity: water because we believe safe water is necessary for life. Whoever you are, wherever you are, water is a basic human right. We feel so strongly that we donate all proceeds from Second Chance activities to provide clean water to those in need.

Periodically, depending on the campaign, we contribute all funds to charity: water, which provides aid to water projects all over the world. You will even be able to track the project(s) that you have supported.

Our past SL campaigns have raised almost $9,000USD (or over L$2m). All of these funds were donated to water projects in Cambodia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda, Niger, Mali, Mozambique, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh and India, with more to be started. Completed projects have impacted almost 5,000 people. Our virtual fund-raising is having a tangible impact on real people!

We know there are lots of worthy charities out there, but the water crisis is something we can help solve. We hope you agree and show your support for our current campaign. Every $1 invested in joint water supply and sanitation solutions provides a $4.30 economic return. Charity: water's past contributions have funded over 200,000 projects that have impacted almost 22 million people in 29 countries.

Together, we really can change lives through something as basic as water because CLEAN WATER CHANGES EVERYTHING!

Check out some of charity: water's completed projects:
https://www.charitywater.org/our-work

Here are some facts about the water crisis:
https://www.charitywater.org/global-water-crisis

Projects we have helped fund:
https://www.charitywater.org/denise-infinity#impact

https://www.charitywater.org/denise-infinity/virtual-world-for-a-real-cause-xxiv

Denise Infinity, Friends &
Crusaders of Clean Water @ Second Life
#charitywater #lovewater #cleanwater