Can you imagine life without running water? Not being able to turn on the tap. No way to easily wash, cook or even get a drink of water. High up in the Andes, many poor rural communities have no access to running water. Just 12 pounds is enough to install a tap in a village in Bolivia. Having a supply of clean, safe water means better health and improved harvests for everyone.

In some African slums, such as Kibera, in Nairobi, up to 15,000 people could be sharing a single block of six toilets. Without running water people are forced to use plastic bags to defecate in. They then throw the bags into the street  bags known as flying toilets. Clean toilets drastically reduce diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria and cholera. A donation of 55 pounds would buy a latrine that really gets to the bottom of things. With your help, Christian Aids local partners will be able to carry out projects like these where they are needed most.

Most frighteningly of all, a child dies every 15 seconds from water-related diseases. This amounts to nearly 6000 deaths, or the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing, every day.

In April I will be running the London Marathon for the Running Water campaign. You can play your part  please sponsor me now. If you are a UK taxpayer then Gordon Brown will add 28% to your donation when you tick the gift aid box.... can't be bad!

Many thanks,

Simon