water

not a drop to drink:

access to clean water in asia

Every year, more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence combined, including war. (WHO 2002) Unsafe water causes 4 billion cases of diarrhea each year, and results in 2.2 million deaths, mostly of children under five. This means that 15% of child deaths each year are attributable to diarrhea – a child dying every 15 seconds. In India alone, the single largest cause of ill health and death among children is diarrhea, which kills nearly half a million children each year. (WHO and UNICEF 2000)

This project will show the various challenges communities in the developing world face to access the vital human right of water, as well as the solutions that grassroots organizations are implementing to provide their communities with safe, sustainable and affordable water.

Status: September 2011: Filming is complete in India and Indonesia! Still fundraising for editing and distribution costs.

Budget: $49,030 including production, post-production, and distribution to communities and schools

Who will benefit from the project?

‣Documentary participants
Documentary participants will have the opportunity to fully express their experiences, acting as a therapeutic outlet as well as a constructive one that will help to shape NGO programming and garner support for programs that are working to achieve equitable and sustainable access to clean water.
‣Grassroots NGOs
Grassroots NGOs working on water issues will be provided this documentary free of charge, to use as a fundraising tool that will demonstrate the importance of programs like theirs. Even if not working in the same geographic area where filming takes place, the documentary will be produced to be non-exclusive and relevant to a wide range of relief organizations all over the world. We hope that they will use this to reach new donors, send with international grant applications, and raise awareness on the issues of access to water and the solutions their organization offers.
‣Canadian classrooms
After this documentary is finished, PSP will produce curricula guides and teachers kits to accompany this film to make it a relevant teaching tool for grades 1-12. These will be available free of charge, both online and in print.
‣General public
PSP places all its documentaries online for the world to view free of charge, and holds community screenings. A resource guide on how to hold your own screening of the film will also be developed and placed online free of charge.