From the Planet Water PSA starring Elmo

2.6 billion people don’t have access to clean sanitation water and 72% of them live in Asia. Unsafe drinking water is a major cause of diarrhea, which is the second leading killer of children. Over 880 million people in the world lack access to safe drinking water and 55% of them live in Asia.

Water health and hygiene is one of the major issues facing young children in Asia. That’s why Sesame Workshop has teamed up with Planet Water to launch the Asia Water-for-Life project. Beginning in Indonesia and expanding into the Philippines, Vietnam and India over the next few months, this multimedia educational program, which includes a social media campaign and PSAs starring Elmo, teaches children about basic hygienic practices like hand washing and why failing to do so encourages the spread of germs. The beloved Sesame Street Muppets^TM will play a critical role in ensuring young Asian children learn these important lessons.

But the Water-for-Life project isn’t just about education. A major part of the project is building ten AquaTowers, each capable of providing 10,000 liters of clean drinking water per day, in Indonesia.

For more information on why the Water-for-Life project is so critical to the health of young children in Asia, click on the infographic below.

To learn more about the Water-for-Life project, go to Planet Water’s website. To learn more about Sesame Workshop’s educational efforts in Indonesia, check out our page on Jalan Sesama, the Indonesian version of Sesame Street.

The Sesame Workshop Blog