You may have heard on the news about the cyclone that recently devastated south-east India. Tamil Nadu, the region in which many of Wherever the Need’s projects are based, has been badly hit – the cyclone has devastated the lives of the people and communities with whom we work so closely.

Infrastructure, services and facilities are severely impaired and damaged; towns and villages are without electricity and clean water; many people have been left homeless.

Water supplies are polluted and there is a genuine concern that there will be an outbreak of diseases such as diarrhoea or cholera

We want to use our expertise and knowledge of the region to get sanitation and water facilities to where they are most needed and we need your help.

Please donate now.

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$40

will pay for a water filter which will enable people on the ground to access clean, safe water

$800

will buy a mobile eco-sanitation unit, by-passing the need for infrastructure to provide much-needed toilet facilities

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Thanks to your generosity we have raised over £10,000 for this cause!

The extra £2,700 raised beyond our target will be used to provide school equipment and books for the children, which will greatly enhance their education and future prospects. We are currently discussing with an organisation in India the possibility of them matching all the money we have raised; this would improve the childrens’ lives more than we had hoped for.

Watch this space for updates in the coming months…

To find out more about our Christmas Appeal, visit this page: www.wherevertheneed.org.uk/donate/christmas-appeal-2010

“It is estimated that only 10 percent of the three million tonnes of phosphorus excreted by the global human population each year are returned to agricultural soils,” Britain’s largest organic certification body, the Soil Association, said.

An adequate supply of phosphorous is essential for seed formation, root development and maturing of crops.

The supply of phosphorus from mined phosphate rock could peak as soon as 2033 after which it will become increasingly scarce and expensive, the report said.

“We are completely unprepared to deal with the shortage of phosphorus inputs, the drop in production and the hike in food prices that will follow,” the Soil Association said.

Historically in Europe, phosphorus was returned to agricultural land through the application of animal manure and human excreta but from the mid nineteenth century it was replaced by phosphate mined in distant places.

Heavy Metals

The report called for a change in European Union regulations to permit the use of treated sewage sludge, known as biosolids, on organic certified land, subject to appropriate restrictions on issues such as concentrations of heavy metals.

EU regulations prohibit the use of biosolids on organic land due to concerns about the toxic effects of heavy metals cause by combining human excreta with other waste products such as industrial effluent.

“Heavy metal levels have declined in recent years and are now low enough for the organic movement to re-consider allowing treated sewage sludge to be used where it meets strict standards,” the report said.

The report also called for a reduction of the amount of meat in human diets to reduce demand for mined phosphorus.

“This is because the efficiency with which phosphorus inputs are converted into dietary phosphorus is much higher in vegetable-based products than livestock products,” it said.”

(Reporting by Nigel Hunt)

source: http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53218220101129

It’s encouraging to hear respected members of the US government make very clear statements about the importance of clean water and sanitation in the world, such as 2 minutes 50 into the film:

“If there’s one thing that we have learnt over the last 5 to 10 years it’s that clean water, if put into a community, ultimately leads to a degree of economic stability; a degree of hope; a degree of productivity that you otherwise would not have” (Senator William Frist)

It is that time of year when we ask you to think of others less fortunate than ourselves.

Here at Wherever the Need we are very focussed on our core work of sanitation, water and livelihoods. These are the foundations from which we can help people help themselves out of poverty.

At Christmas, however, we try and do something a little different and for the past few years we have been seeking donations for a range of items that we felt could positively affect the lives of the people among whom we are working. This Christmas we thought we would change the idea slightly.

We are trying to raise at least £7,600 to provide 200 street children in Bangalore with a nutritious meal every day for a year.

To find out more about our Christmas Appeal and to donate, follow this link:

http://zeno.servwise.com/~wherever/donate/christmas-appeal-2010