Spring of Hope

BIG STORY

 The Silent Crisis: How Climate Change and Conflict Steal Our Water

This crisis is being exponentially worsened by two factors: climate change and armed conflict.

1. Climate Change: Climate change is, at its core, a water crisis. It disrupts the water cycle, leading to more intense and prolonged droughts and, paradoxically, more extreme floods. These floods destroy infrastructure and massively contaminate drinking water sources.

2. Armed Conflict: Conflict is a brutal destroyer of water security. As the situation in Ukraine demonstrates, bombing destroys pipelines, treatment plants, and pumping stations. Water and soil are contaminated with heavy metals from munitions. Data clearly shows that in unstable countries, access to safe water is 38 percentage points lower.

Water scarcity itself becomes a source of tension and a driver of migration—an estimated 10% of global migration is linked to water stress.

The reality is shocking:

• One in four people worldwide (2.2 billion people) lacks access to safely managed drinking water.
• Of those, 115 million are forced to drink water directly from surface sources—rivers and ponds.
• Nearly half the world's population (3.5 billion people) lacks safe sanitation.

Behind these numbers are human lives. Millions of women and girls spend a collective 250 million hours every single day collecting water. It is time that steals their education, their childhood, and exposes them to danger.

The water they carry is often a silent killer. At least 1.7 billion people drink water contaminated with feces, spreading deadly diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.

The Price of Every Drop: The Hidden Costs of the Water Crisis

The true cost of the water crisis is measured in lost lives and squandered potential.

• Health: Unsafe water is a silent killer. Diarrheal diseases are the third leading cause of death for children aged one month to five years. Approximately 444,000 young children die from these diseases annually. A staggering 69% of these deaths are directly attributed to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Children who survive often suffer from malnutrition and stunting, which permanently damages their cognitive development.
• Economy: The lack of water costs the global economy $260 billion annually in lost productivity and healthcare expenses. Conversely, every $1 invested in water and sanitation generates an average of $4 in economic returns.
• Women: The water crisis has a woman's face. In the vast majority of developing countries, women and girls bear the primary responsibility for fetching water. The 250 million hours they spend daily denies them education, economic independence, and exposes them to the risk of physical and sexual assault.

Key info

Why United Patrons? Our Promise to You

We know that trust is the foundation of all aid. That is why we make this promise to you, built on four solid pillars:

• Experience: We have over a decade of experience delivering humanitarian aid in the most challenging conditions. We know how to operate effectively and safely in crisis zones.
• Efficiency: Our volunteer-based model ensures your donation is maximized. We minimize overhead costs to channel the most resources directly into the field.
• Transparency: We commit to complete openness. We will keep you informed about how your funds are being used—from purchasing equipment to transportation, installation, and on-site training.
• Sustainability: Our goal is not dependency, but self-sufficiency. We focus on partnering with local communities and organizations to ensure our projects function and deliver benefits long into the future.

Join us. Become a Patron of Hope.

This isn't just a request for a donation. It's an invitation to be part of a movement. An invitation to become a Patron of Hope and a Patron of Life. Join a global community of supporters determined to solve this crisis once and for all.

The most effective stories of aid don't cast the donor as a passive savior of helpless victims. Instead, they invite you to become an active partner and a hero in the story of change. We don't show suffering to inspire guilt; we show hope and joy to inspire action.

Your gift isn't just about fixing a problem; it's about unlocking potential. It's a chance to create positive change and witness the joy and dignity that spring from your action.

Together, we can create a world where no child dies from preventable waterborne diseases. A world where every girl can go to school instead of spending her days hauling water. A world where every family has the chance to build a better, healthier future.

Together, we can make that world a reality.

Donate today. Give Water. Give Life.

Impacts

Spring of Hope: Our Solution is Local, Effective, and Sustainable

The water crisis, however vast, is solvable. The solution lies in thousands of local, thoughtful, and sustainable interventions.

The United Patrons approach is built on partnership with communities. Our work always begins by listening to local leaders, families, and especially women, to co-design a solution that is functional and sustainable.

The United Patrons Model: With roots reaching back to 2008 in the Czech Republic, we have gained invaluable experience helping in the toughest conditions, from natural disasters to war zones. Our operations are largely based on volunteer work, which minimizes administrative costs and maximizes the impact of every donation.

Our work begins with a careful analysis of water samples. Based on the results, we deploy cost-effective, robust, and locally sustainable technologies (such as ceramic filters or chlorination systems). Partnership with technical experts (like Deconta) and local organizations, who commit to the long-term operation and maintenance of the equipment, is key.

What Water Can Do – Stories of Change:

1. The Gift of Health (Rwanda): One year after installing a LifeStraw community filter, a study showed a 29% reduction in childhood diarrhea. Mothers no longer live in fear that their children will get sick from every sip.
2. The Gift of Opportunity (Mali): Umu, a hairdresser, was able to double her clientele thanks to a reliable water source. With the income she earns, she sends her daughters to school—the first girls in her family's history to receive an education.
3. The Gift of Safety (Ukraine): In a village near the front line, wells were contaminated with heavy metals. The installation of a local filtration station turned contaminated water into safe drinking water. For dozens of elderly people, this meant an end to the fear of disease and the gift of safety, as they no longer have to risk their lives on dangerous journeys for water.