By Claire Pearson
“This project has given me dignity”
Those words and the scene will stay with me forever. It was 2013, I was working for WaterAid, visiting one of the projects in rural Northern Ghana and those words were being told to me by a lady in her 80’s. The project that the lady was referring to was her first toilet recently built outside her house, through a project supported by WaterAid. Imagine, reaching 80 years old and having to suffer the indignity of going to the loo in the outside in the open, imagine your grandparent or parents having to do that. With the right investment, policy and will, it’s something that can change. For those of you living in countries with clean water, I bet during the first five minutes after you got out of bed this morning you did something involving water; brushed your teeth, went to the loo, made a coffee, had a shower. It’s just so easy. Unfortunately, not everyone has this basic human right, but that’s why WaterAid, our social impact partner exists to ensure clean water and sanitation for all. Every year, UN World Water Day is 22 March. It celebrates water and raises awareness of the global water crisis;with 1 in 10 people without clean water to drink and 1.7 billion people in poor countries living without sanitation.
These people living in poor communities where the environment turns into an open sewer, and it’s vital that toilets are built to support an effective ecosystem and human health. I guess you could say I’m a Woman in Water:- I’ve worked in water for 12 years. Before I joined Belu I worked at WaterAid who we give all profits to, helping to reach communities worldwide with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.
- The past six years I’ve been at Belu, helping UK Hospitality and workplaces with sustainable water service, investing all our net profits into supporting Global Goal 6; clean water and sanitation for all.
- Water, I drink loads of the stuff. Mild panic sets in if I don’t have my refillable on me (named BOB for Belu Ocean Bottle, sad but true)
- I love a regular dip in any water I can find that’s swimmable, mostly frequenting good old Brockwell Lido in South London all year round.





