KARACHI: Bayer Pakistan has joined hands with Tayaba Organization to provide 2,000 H2O (Help-2-Others) "water wheels" to the communities suffering from water scarcity in Sindh and Punjab.
The H2O wheels are specially designed, 40-liter drum containers with handles which enable people to roll water from its source rather than carry it on their heads the traditional way - in terracotta pots which are not only heavy, but have a limited capacity.
Endorsed by the Water Ministry, the project offers not only hygienic transportation but also hygienic storage for water and will help reduce the incidence of disease.
It will also alleviate the physical burden on women and children of lifting heavy loads, thereby reducing injuries.
Moreover, the project aims at supporting educational and economic opportunities for women and children thanks to time saved by the use of H2O Water Wheels in comparison to traditional water transportation methods.
In addition, by introducing a gender-neutral transportation method and encouraging male engagement, the project helps redefine gender roles by reframing the enduring perception of water fetching and transportation as being "women's work". It will therefore reduce the burden on women, one H2O water wheel at a time.
Communities to be included in the Bayer-funded project have been selected based on need, and the project will benefit approximately 14,000 people directly (and many more indirectly) in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) including Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
"Bayer Pakistan believes in the sustainable development of communities we work in. This project is well aligned with Bayer's global vision Health for All, Hunger for None, as it offers an affordable, innovative and sustainable intervention for the transportation of clean water, while also unlocking economic opportunities for impoverished and water-deprived communities," said Dr. Imran Ahmad Khan, CEO and MD of Bayer Pakistan.
"Globally, 2.2 billion people currently do not have access to safely managed drinking water, while 1 million neonatal and maternal deaths are associated with waterborne diseases annually. Pakistan is one of the worst victims of water scarcity. But often challenges like these require simple and effective solutions like the H2O Wheel.
"At Tayaba, through improved accessibility of clean water, which unlocks opportunities for a better future and a better life, our aim is to serve at least 500,000 people directly across Pakistan in the next five years," said Bilal Bin Saqib, founder of the Tayaba Organization.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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