On February 12, 2007, the internationally renowned rock
band The Police announced that they would contribute
a portion of the proceeds from their highly anticipated
worldwide tour to WaterAid. In a statement, The Police
said, "We are proud to support WaterAid in their
mission to improve access to safe water, sanitation,
and hygiene education in the world's poorest countries.
We hope the funds and awareness raised during the tour
will help to shine a light on WaterAid's efforts to bring
help to millions of people in need."
WaterAid has its headquarters in London, supported by
independent alliance members in the United States and
Australia. It delivers water, sanitation and hygiene
education through its offices in 17 African, Asian and
Pacific nations. Since it was founded in 1981, WaterAid
has earned a worldwide reputation for its sustainable
approach, innovation, and leadership, winning numerous
national and international awards, including the prestigious
Stockholm Water Prize.
To participate in the auction, fans of The Police should
go to
http://www.ticketmaster.com/thepolice on
Tuesday, May 1st beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (U.S.).
The auction will close on May 11th.
Editors' notes: Water is a basic human need and right,
yet over 1 billion people lack access to safe water.
Twice as many, 2.6 billion - over 40 percent of the world's
population - lack a safe and clean place to go to the
toilet.
- Households in rural Africa spend approximately 26%
of their time fetching water, and it is generally women
who are burdened with the task;
- 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related
diseases;
- Water-related diseases are the second biggest killer
of children worldwide.
WaterAid provides practical, sustainable solutions, made
more effective through local and international collaborations,
and advocates policies that combat disease, advance education,
and reduce poverty in some of the poorest, most vulnerable
communities in the world. Partnering with more than 300
local organizations, WaterAid has helped nearly 10 million
people access safe, clean water. In 2006-07, WaterAid
will cap a quarter-century of achievement by delivering
water to 1 million people and sanitation to another 1.5
million people.
