Clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene are basic human rights. They should be a normal part of everyone’s daily life, but they aren't. Around the world, 1 in 9 people don't have clean water close to home, and 1 in 3 don't have a decent toilet of their own.

This September, 70 HSBC and KPMG employees will trek 75km through the Himachal Pradesh region in the Indian Himalayas to raise money for Conservation International (KPMG) and WaterAid (HSBC).

WaterAid is an international NGO, determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. WaterAid and HSBC have been partnered since 2012 through the HSBC Water Programme, which was launched to help tackle the global water crisis. The eight-year USD150m programme has reached 1.68 million people with clean water and over 2.58 million with sanitation in six focus countries - Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Ghana and Nigeria.

All the funds HSBC participants raised for WaterAid will go towards a community-based water program in India. Together, we are on a mission to raise USD25,000 as a team. I have set myself a challenging fundraising target of USD2,000, which could transform lives by providing up to 100 people with access to clean water.