Current Campaign

YWI X Thirst Project

About Thirst Project

Over 700 million people on the planet do not have access to safe, clean water. Thirst Project travels across the United States speaking at middle, high school and college campuses to educate students about the global water crisis and challenge them to fundraise to build freshwater wells in developing nations and impoverished communities. Thirst Project is the world's largest youth water organizations that 100% of all public donations go directly towards their well projects. According to the UN, waterborne diseases are responsible for more easily preventable young deaths a year than HIV, Malaria, and all world violence combined. Small children typically do not have strong enough immune systems to fight diseases like cholera, dysentery, or schistosomiasis.

Thirst Project aims build a socially-conscious generation of young people who will end the global water crisis. In 2012, Thirst Project pledged to give the entire Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) safe, clean drinking water. With a small population of 1.2 million residents, Eswatini has the highest density of HIV/AIDS case and 76% of Residents in Eswatini lack adequate access to Sanitation services.

Our Campaign & Impact

Youth Water Initiative is partnering with Thirst Project to build a well for a community in the Kindom of Eswatini, which will cost $12,000 USD. 1 well serves on average 500 people, so it takes about $25 to give one person clean water for life.

Youth Water Initiative is working with several organizations at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign to fundraise for this project.

The Kingdom of Eswatini is the second-smallest African country and has population just over 1 million people. Almost 60% of people live in poverty and depend on small-scale agriculture for their economic livelihood. Out of the total population, about 27% of individuals between 15-49 of age and 17% of the total population are affected by HIV.

Water is a human right. Join the fight.

This photo was taken from the old water source of Machegweni primary school (MAH-KE-GWEN-EE) . This student is collecting water from an unprotected spring a few kilometers away from the school. When the school was forced to rely on this water source, dtudents were getting sick from diseases like cholera and bilharzia. The head of school said that it seemed like every single day someone was being sent home or sent to the clinic to be treated of their waterborne disease.

Now with access to safe, clean drinking water, just a few steps from the front door of a classroom, students and teachers have been able to benefit from in sothe well many ways.