Most of us are able to walk about ten feet over to the kitchen faucet, turn it on, and immediately fresh, clean water is pouring into our glass. Simple. Easy. Clean. However, the reality is that the lack of access to clean water is what thousands of people face around the world.

A recent article published in Aljazeera discusses the issue of how infections attributed to unsafe water and poor sanitation are affecting people in northern Uganda. This has been a progressive problem throughout the region and is not aided by the lack of adequate healthcare that could cure these infections with proper medical treatment.

In 2010, Invisible Children began the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiative. The initiative provides rural communities surrounding selected Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups access to safe drinking water and improves the sanitation and hygiene of group members, their households and the community.

As of May 2011, 20 boreholes have been drilled in the communities of our original 20 VSLA groups and over 5,000 community members are reaping the benefits of having accessible, clean water. These boreholes were constructed by International Lifeline Fund in partnership with Invisible Children Uganda, and were funded by Charity Water.

There is still a long road ahead to ensure that those who need accessible clean water have the means to receive it. But little by little, one travels far.

“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” – Benjamin Franklin