Walking for Water is a fundraising and awareness-raising concept where school children aged 10-13 walk 6 km, carrying 6 litres of water in a backpack. Funds are raised by the kids themselves, mainly as donations from friends and family.

The money is used to finance water projects in developing countries, which the children can then follow through their schoolwork. As a preparation for the walk, teachers and guest lecturers educate the children about the importance of clean water and adequate sanitation in developing countries.See the full set of 2010 projects being visualised online through Akvo here.

The Walking for Water events are held during the week of World Water Day (March 22nd) and create a perfect awareness raising event to help frame and promote Live Earth's Run for Water events on April 18th, 2010. Family and friends sponsor the child’s walk. The collected funds are used to finance a water or sanitation project in a developing country. Local organisers can choose a project of their own, or can choose a project from Akvo's web site.

Organise your own Walking for Water event in Spring 2010:

Manuals in English

Guide for Support Centre (PDF)
Guide for Schools (PDF)
Guide for Guest Lecturer (PDF)

Manuals in Spanish / Manuales en español, kindly translated by Lucas González

Guía para los centros de apoyo (PDF)
Guía para escuelas (PDF)
Guía para las Ponencias Invitadas (PDF)

Manuals in Swedish / Manualer på svenska, kindly translated by Elin Jensen

Guide för supportcenter (PDF)
Guide för skolor (PDF)
Guide för gästöreläsare (PDF)

Do you want to help us with manuals in other languages? Contact us!

One of the projects funded by Walking for Water in 2009

Bring water projects to life for kids

Ten year old children have completely different expectations of development projects and want to see and follow what they're funding online. Walking for Water is now using internet tools to engage kids at this new level.

Akvo's partnership with Walking for Water means projects that are funded are chosen from organisations that can share progress as it happens. Organisers are free to identify and fund their own project, or choose one online here. Akvo provides a wide choice of water and sanitation projects, and shares project progress online direct from the field teams concerned, using short text updates, photos, and video.

Using Akvo, the children can follow the project that they helped to fund online, share images with their friends and family who donated money, and learn about the realities of construction. Over time lasting connections can develop, with kids going on to campaign and support other projects in the community, in areas such as agriculture, education, engineering or manufacturing.

Watch this video to get a flavor of the 2009 Dutch event (also subtitled in Spanish).