Faith in Water is excited to be taking part in JustWater 2017, an initiative launched by cathedrals and churches on four continents to raise awareness and activism about water.

They include St George's Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa; St Paul's Cathedral in London, UK; St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne, Australia; and Trinity Church Wall Street in New York, USA.

The JustWater programme aims to draw attention to the issues around water – whether these challenges are flooding, drought, rising tides or access to fresh water and sanitation. Major events are scheduled to coincide with the season of Lent and around UN World Water Day on 22 March to support social justice efforts on water.

Faith in Water is taking part in Water of Life? Creation, Culture and the River Thames on March 23 in St Paul’s Cathedral, London. This large public event is the flagship event for the JustWater programme in the UK and will host a wide range of performances, speakers and organisations.

The Very Revd David Ison, Dean of St Paul's Cathedral London, said 'How we deal with water shows how much we value one another. The church working around the world in partnership, to share resources and raise awareness of water-related issues, is a sign of how humanity can achieve together for the benefit of all what we cannot do on our own.'

The JustWater2017.org website is an open resource to help equip community and church leaders as advocates for water justice. Events and outcomes from the project will be highlighted on the website as well as on social media using the hashtag #justwater17.

The president made it a priority in his election campaign and now the First Lady has presided over the launch of a nationwide initiative calling on all the citizens to get involved. One of the country's leading singers, Sana Bob, has even composed a song about it.

​The country is Burkina Faso and the campaign focuses on sanitation. The aim is to mobilise the entire country to put an end to open defecation and give everyone access to decent sanitation facilities.

Around 9.3 million people still defecate in the open on a daily basis and 70% of hospital beds are taken by people suffering from illnesses caused by a lack of sanitation. Every day 4.8 million women risk their safety, dignity and health because they are forced to hide in the bush to relieve themselves.

The people's campaign for toilets, Fasotoilettes 2017, has been initiated by IRC Burkina Faso in collaboration with the General Directorate for Sanitation of the Ministry for Water and Sanitation, the NGOs WaterAid and Eau Vive International and the Foundation Kim. 

First lady Sika Kabore launched the campaign, saying, 'Relieving oneself is a basic need of all human beings… I am deeply disturbed when I think of all the women who have to wait until nightfall to do what is ultimately natural.'

​For more information on Burkino Faso's national campaign, visit Sanitation Updates.