News

WASH MYTHS 3 – FOREIGN AID MEANS CASH

by Brian Ashworth, posted in DAA Stories, WASH

Australia is budgeting to provide $4.335 billion in Foreign Aid in 2020-21.

Judging by some of the comments we see on facebook there are lots of people who think that the Australian Goverment provides this aid in the form of cash.

They also belive that foreign government can choose to spend aid money how they like.

Below is some real information about Australia’s foreign aid.

Some Facts

Here is some information that busts the cash Myth and some other foreign aid myths

The Australian Gov’t decides how the most aid is spent.

The Australian Government provides aid through defined programs.

It also provides grants to chosen in-country organisations and Australian organisations.

The expenditure is monitored by Embassy Staff.

A large amount of aid money never leaves Australia

A considerable amount of the aid budget involves providing Australian good and services to foreign governments.

Examples include;

  • COVID Vaccines, such as doses of Astra Zenica manufactured in Australia, but not taken up in Australia;
  • Naval Patrol boats, manufactured in Australia, but used by foreign goerments to control people smuggling;
  • Consultancy services, such as engineering and financial management, by Australian companies.
There are many countries which are far more generous than Australia

The standard way of measuring aid generosity is as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI)

The 2020-2021 aid budget is 0.21% of the GNI; with an average of developed countries being 0.31%.

Here are a few of the countries that are ahead of us, with their aid as a proportion of GNI; Austria (0.29), Britain (0.7) Germany (0.73), Japan (0.31) (New Zealand (0.27)

Disaster Aid Australia has never received any Development Aid Funds

Although DAA’s Supporters receive tax relief on their donations Disaster Aid AUstralia has never received and financial support from the Australian Aid Budget.

We are only able to deliver aid through the generosity of our supporters.

If you would like to help Disaster Aid Australia continue to deliver Aid in developing countries then click on the link below;

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.

5 x Healthier

by Brian Ashworth, posted in Assisting DAI Partners, Safe Water for Every Child, WASH

The United Nations believe 80% of illnesses and deaths in developing countries is due to contaminated drinking water.

That means safe water can prevent four out of every five illnesses.

Disaster Aid Australia has seen the truth of this statistic.

Our installations In India in conjunction with Disaster Aid India and the Diganta Swaraj Foundation Reduced School Absences by 88%

The water is not only safer and looks cleaner. . . . but it tastes better because our SkyHydrants don’t add chemicals in the filtration process.

WHICH WOULD YOU DRINK?

If you would like to help Disaster Aid Australia continue to help improve health in developing countries then click on the link below;

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.

WASH Myths No 2 – Stream Sample Means Safe

by Brian Ashworth, posted in WASH
Photo from WikiMedia (Cirosantilli2)

One of the standard methods of looking at water quality is to sample a stream.

However a very low, or zero, bacteria result doesn’t mean the location is a safe source.

Below are three reasons why a low bacteriological sample value may not be providing good information:

Sample Not Truly Representative

The typical stream sample is 1 Litre.

Even a small stream is likely to have a flow of up to 500litres/min, thats 720,000 litres per day.

That means you are sampling 0.00014% of that days flow, hardly representative!

Changing Water Quality

Water Quality in a stream is not consistant, for example:

  • Rainfall will wash dirt and faeces into the stream.
  • Dry periods, with low flows, may concentrate any contamination
  • Animals, birds, and humans live in the catchment and may use it for washing, and defacation.

Sampling Protocols

For accurate testing extensive protocols need to be performed, for example:

  • Proper preparation of sample bottles;
  • Refrigerate samples during transport:
  • Deliver to an accredited laboratory on day of collection;

For a full range of protocols see this Tasmanian Goverment document Community Water Samples

Without the correct protocols, which may be difficult in many developing countries, the may be very large.

The Value of Water Testing

The above problems do not mean that water testing shouldn’t be carried out.

Water Tests are valuable for:

  • Comparing bacterial quality of different sources of water for a community.
  • Providing Information on the types of natural chemicals in the water that can cause health concerns, for instance arsenic, and flouride.
  • Identifying pollution from industrial processes and mining.

How To Achieve Safe Water

The best way to ensure safe drinking water is:

  • Having a source water that is free of harmfull chemicals.
  • Have a treatment system that reliably removes ALL bacteria from the water.

Disaster Aid Australia continue to install SkyHydrants, as they have proved highly effective at removing ALL bacteria from water.

This has reduced illness in serviced communities by more than 70%.

Every dollar donated to Disaster Aid Australia’s ‘Safe Water for Every Child’ program provides one person with safe water for one year.
To Help click on the link below;

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.

Sustainable Safe Water

by Brian Ashworth, posted in News, Philippines, Safe Water for Every Child

A key consideration for Disaster Aid Australia’s ‘Safe Water for Every Child’ program is sustainability.

Financial Sustainability

President and Past President of the Rotary Club

It is important that the community ensures that there is enough money to pay for:

  • Cleaning Chemicals.
  • Replacement of the filter membrane (typically after 10 years)
  • The operators time for the daily cleaning.

This photographs shows how the cooperative in Barangay. Mambuaya, on the outskirts of Cagayan de Oro have responded to the problem.

They have connected the SkyHydrant system to two water dispensing machines in the small building.

Water flows into the containers when the a coin is dropped into the machine.

Collecting as little as AU$1/day will save enough money for the membrane replacment and cleaning chemicals!

The installation was sponsored, with the aid of a Rotary Global Grant by the Rotary Club of West Cagayan de Oro.

Greenhouse Gases

In 2018 Disaster Aid Australia was recognised by the Energy Globe Awards as being the best energy sustainable project in Australia.

This was due to the fact that our SkyHydrants provide safe water without power or treatment chemicals.

It was also one of the top four water projects in the World Awards.

Plastic Waste Reduction

One of the problems around the world is the amount of plastic waste which affects wildlife and gets inot the food chain.

Every SkyHydrant installed means that the community protected no longer needs to buy bottled water to stay safe.

That mean that there will be no need to dispose of tens of thousands of single use plastic bottles every year.

If you would like to help Disaster Aid Australia continue to provide Sustainable safe water click on the link below;

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.