The Making a Difference Foundation or (MADIFF), is a Washington DC-based non-profit under the leadership of Tania Ngo who is working diligently to change some statistics in Africa by supporting grassroots-level change in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, and Togo. MADIFF takes a holistic approach to ending poor sanitation, basing its action on research supporting the hand-in-hand connection between access to clean water and health education.
Clean water and sanitation are undeniably troubling issues throughout the international community, especially Africa. Providing clean water can reduce child mortality, combat infectious disease, improve maternal health, and promote gender equality, all goals outlined as vital by the United Nations in their Millennium Development Goals. Yet lack of clean water and sanitation is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of five. In the Congo alone, tens of millions lack access to safe drinking water, and young girls are missing elementary school to walk far distances to fetch water for their families. MADIFF believes that “Now is the time” to make a difference.
When clean water is not available, children and families are unable to perform the basic hygienic practices needed to keep infection at bay. However, research has shown that clean water alone is not enough. Individuals are only empowered to follow healthy cleaning rituals when health education is available to explain why hygiene practices are important and how they can be implemented effectively.
MADIFF’s upcoming “Now is the Time” campaign seeks to provide immediate help to the most vulnerable populations in schools, care facilities, and orphanages by working directly with these facilities to teach hygienic practices, while offering tools to create a better clean water infrastructure. MADIFF believes that every child is able to learn. With access to basic self-care, the children MADIFF supports are better able to focus on their studies and succeed, creating a better future for both themselves and others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbqA6o8_WC0
For more information or to help MADIFF in its mission, please visit www.madiff.org or check out the organization on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eachforall or Twitter: @Madiff_Foundation.
