Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging, and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs Bites thrives? You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect, and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.Lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show.

So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites. And today is episode 111 with the title Hydrating Humanity.

And I

have the absolute honor and privilege to welcome Hannah Bellamy. Hannah is the managing director of Charity Water. When I asked Hannah to describe her superpower, she said, getting people to see and care about ongoing issues in the world. Hello, Hannah. Welcome to the show.

Hi, Jo. Thanks so much for having me.

Absolute pleasure. So, Hannah, hydrating humanity, that is sounds like a fascinating thing. So tell us more.

Yeah. Of course. So hydrating humanity, I think what lots of people don't realize is that while we all need water, not everybody has access to it. So there's 703,000,000 people living around the world who don't have access to clean water, And it's not just about being able to drink it Wellbeing able to Joanne, you know, 10 on the tap and drink that water. Not having clean water is an issue which affects education. It affects opportunity. It's the biggest killer of children under the age of 5. And, really, it's a social injustice which affects women and girls in particular.

Those are some staggering numbers. Yeah. Biggest killer of children under the age of 5. Yeah. Wow. That and 703,000,000 people

Yeah.

Across the globe not having access to clean water. I suppose what's going on in my head and the Bites and see stereotypes are probably in my head is poverty in Africa, but it goes beyond that, doesn't it?

It does go beyond that. So it it can happen in in all sorts of places and and pop up in different pockets. So, you know, we'll definitely find that in some vast countries so if you think in North America, for example, there'll be areas where people don't have piped water to their homes. But see, as an organization, Charity Water, we do focus on countries that are low down on the UN's human development index because those are where people really need help. So about about 80% of our work is in Africa, about 20% in Southeast Asia, but that's not where the problem is completely isolated to. I mean, we hear about it now, unfortunately, in war zone situations. That's not the type of thing we go and fix because for us, we're working in places where we want to have long term systemic change to help remove people from the poverty that you're imagining. So clean water is the first step to help people remove people from poverty.

Yeah. Because it is a it's a tool in warfare, isn't it, where you remove utilities? So you remove sanitation, food, water supply in order to get your opposing side to capitulate or give in through suffering, starvation, dehydration. So, yeah, I'd never really put it in that context before. But it's it is it is one of those tools. And I guess if you go back I'm just thinking we jo back into ancient medieval history. We've got see to starve people out of their castle, didn't see? And through, like, a war.

see. Yeah. Which feels like it in some ways, there's instances similar to that now perhaps. But the the interesting thing there is because because when people read it in the news and it's happening in that type of war scenario, it feels like something new, and people are horrified by it. People are horrified by the idea of not having access to clean water in that situation. But what I want people to do is is to take that horror and think, actually, there's people around the world. Like I said, that's 700 over 700,000,000 people like that on a day to day basis. And, really, it it it's something we know how to fix.