Through decades of war and conflict, Afghanistan’s water infrastructure has almost been destroyed.

In rural areas, only 20% of the country’s population of 29 million have access to clean water and sanitation, the lowest percentage in the world.

In Kabul, with a population of 6 million, this figure rises to a massive 80% of people who do not have access to this most basic of needs for life.

The people are forced to drink from the same rivers they defecate in, leading to polluted diseased water. But for these suffering villagers, there is no other option.

All around the world, a child dies from drinking dirty water like the water in this village every 20 seconds. That’s 4,000 children every day whose deaths could have been prevented with access to clean water.

You can help save lives by building a well.

For millions of people in developing countries getting water is not as simple as turning on the tap. They have to walk for miles to reach the nearest water source. And when they get there the water is dirty and diseased. They drink it knowing it could kill them, but there is simply no other choice.

Help build a Thirst Relief well and you can give families reliable access to safe, clean water. This allows them to drink, wash, make wudu, grow crops and water their animals safely. It will mean they don’t have to spend hours fetching water each day, freeing up time to go to school, work or look after their families. It will mean children will be able to play and learn and do all the things that a healthy young mind should, rather than the bleak prospects they ultimately face right now.

Clean water means healthier lives, improved livelihoods and, ultimately, a route out of poverty and on the road to a better, brighter future.