Africa has the youngest population in the world. Sixty per cent of Africans are under 25 years old. One of the challenges these young people face is the difficulty of accessing water, an entitlement enshrined in the Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In Africa, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, conflict and ineffective, overloaded foster systems mean that
households headed by young people are common. These households generally fare worse than mixed-generation households. In addition to domestic responsibilities, these young people face the challenge of overcoming economic, human and social barriers to ensure their families have sufficient water.
