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Medically reviewed This article has been reviewed by one of Sidekick’s medical doctors.

Do Good by Doing Well: Sidekick Health & charity: water

At Sidekick Health, we recognize and promote the importance of wellness. Living well and making positive health choices can have a huge impact on our overall quality of life. 

But, what about the lives of others?

At Sidekick, we’re working to make wellness part of everyone’s everyday, and to give everyone the chance to help make this a reality. That’s why we partner with charity: water. 

How does it work? For every mission you complete in the Sidekick app, you earn water drops. The more drops you collect, the more water you donate. 

What is charity: water?

charity: water is a non-profit organization that funds projects around the world to provide people with clean, safe drinking water. 

Currently, 771 million people around the world live without access to clean and safe water. Often, the only water that people do have access to carries harmful diseases that can cause serious illness. Access to clean water means education, income, and health – especially for women and kids.

With this in mind, Sidekick is proud to sponsor a charity: water project in Cambodia, providing BioSand filters which are expected to bring clean water to hundreds of people.

Keep on reading to learn more about Sidekick’s first project with charity: water. 

The project

charity: water works hard to provide people with access to water all around the world. The project that Sidekick has sponsored is located in Cambodia.

Why Cambodia?

Over 75% of Cambodia’s population lives in rural areas. In these areas, 27% of the population lack basic access to water and 52% lacks basic access to sanitation facilities. 

Many people use open surface ponds and rivers that are polluted by human waste and microbial contamination as their water source. What’s more, wells that do exist are often in poor condition. Once a pump breaks, it’s common for communities to draw water with buckets, leading to more contamination.

To address the issue of access to clean water in Cambodia, Sidekick is currently funding a clean water project which will take around two years to complete. 

The project is a BioSand filter. BioSand Filters kill 99% of bacteria in dirty water. It’s a simple solution that cleans water quickly using a biological process. Household BioSand Filters remove pathogens by filtering water through a biological film, coarse sand, fine sand, and gravel. A spout is installed to access the filtered water.

This project is a long term solution to improve water quality for communities, and is a sustainable alternative to bottled water.

How does it work?

charity: water is a non-profit organization. They promise that 100% of public donations go directly to clean water projects. Because of this unique fundraising model, every single cent that Sidekick donates to charity: water goes directly to funding clean water projects. 

The goal of the project sponsored by Sidekick is to help families in Cambodia filter their water so that it’s clean and safe. It all starts with a donation. 

Once a donation is sent to the field, charity: water’s local partners begin the planning phase. They obtain construction permits, purchase supplies, and collaborate with community members. 

Around the 6-month mark, construction begins. In addition to the construction process, local partners spend months establishing community buy-in, promoting safe hygiene practices, and building water committee capacity to manage projects. 

Once construction is complete, charity: water’s partners collect data and thoroughly review the local project. To ensure that water continues to flow for years to come, charity: water empowers local leaders, use strong operations and maintenance structures, collects data, and implement innovative sensor technology. 

All of the data on the project’s progress will be sent to Sidekick in a progress report. 

Do good by doing well

At Sidekick, we’re so inspired by the work that charity: water does. That’s why we developed features in our programs so that you can get involved too. 

For everything you do in the Sidekick app, you’ll earn water drops. The more drops you collect, the more water you’ll donate. 

Because we want you to do well while you’re doing good, your Sidekick will encourage you to complete health missions, get moving, and track your water intake. When you log how much you drink each day, you’ll be rewarded with drops, which Sidekick will then donate to charity: water, to provide even more clean water to those that need it most. 

Equal access to water for all

Clean water is a human right. Our bodies need it to function and perform and even mild dehydration can affect you mentally and physically.

At Sidekick, we know how important hydration is for overall health and wellbeing. That’s why we designed our programs to encourage and remind you to drink more water. But, we know that for many people, staying hydrated by drinking clean, safe water is not an option. 

Not only does a lack of access to water impact physical health, but it’s also a burden on mental health. For people living in communities without access to clean water, the stress and worry they experience on a daily basis about the harmful effects of the dirty water they are exposed to add further to the problem. 

charity: water and Sidekick both recognize that access to water is a right. Not a privilege. 

When a community gets access to clean water they no longer have to worry about the water they’re drinking potentially making them sick. They also don’t have to spend time and money going to a health facility because of water-borne diseases. 

Clean water gives communities more time to grow food, earn an income, and go to school – all of which fight poverty. 

Thanks to charity: water, Sidekick has been able to make sure that when you collect water drops in the Sidekick app, you’re doing good by doing well.

Find your Sidekick today to become more engaged with your own health journey and complete missions that improve the lives of others. 

You can also read more about the wonderful work of charity: water right here. We’re honored to be working together to provide clean, safe water to those who need it most. 

About the author

Molly Perkins

Editor of Living Well

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