Mussa’s dirty elbows and scalp will just have to do. Where he lives in northwest Kenya, there’s no bathing at home because water is scarce.

Mussa and the other children in his village dig for water and fill their jugs twice a day, before and after school. If there’s time after he digs for water, he can splash a little bit, but that doesn’t happen often.

When water is so precious, it’s used for drinking, cooking, and watering livestock. Laundry and bathing take too much water so mothers just have to let it go.

Around the world, about 663 million people don’t have easy access to an improved water source. Like Mussa they walk miles for dirty water. In sub-Saharan Africa, the average distance walked for water is 6K (3.73 miles) a day.

Join World Vision’s Global 6K Walk for Water on May 6. It’s easy to sign up and walk – no heavy water jugs required. When you walk a 6K you can help bring water home to someone who needs it. 

Photo©2016 World Vision, Jon Warren