WaterAid appeal to fund drinking water and sanitation in Nepal gets £2m government match pledge

The UK government has pledged to match, with up to £2m, funds raised by WaterAid’s latest appeal to provide potable water and sanitation to girls in Nepal.

TheThirst for Knowledge appeal, launched by author, TV chef and WaterAid ambassador, Nadiya Hussain, seeks to raise money to provide clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to 30 schools and 28,000 people in the Bardiya district of Nepal.

The appeal will help construct new, sustainable school water systems, decent toilets, and drinking water stations with facilities enabling children to wash, drink and go to the toilet without missing lessons. Provision will be made for girls to manage their periods safely and hygienically, so they no longer worry about missing out on their education or fetching water.

The government-pledged funding match apples to donations made between 16 November 2021 and 15 February 2022.

WaterAid said, in four out of five Nepal households women and girls are responsible for collecting water – often walking one distances and so putting their safety at risk. That leaves little time for them to attend school or earn a living. In Nepal, the lack of facilities contributes to the fact that more than one in three girls leave school after finishing primary education.