DORSET players of People’s Postcode Lottery raised £936,246.40 last year for good causes at home and overseas, from health to animal welfare, the environment and the arts.

WaterAid is one charity to benefit from local players’ support, helping transform lives across the world by improving access to clean water, decent toilets and hygiene education.

The money raised by Dorset players is helping fund WaterAid’s work in some of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Rwanda, where two in five people lack access to clean water, one in three have no decent toilets and an overwhelming 86% has no access to basic hygiene facilities.

A lack of these basics causes diarrhoeal diseases that keep children out of school and claim the lives of more than 1,000 children under the age of five every year in Rwanda.

With support from local players of People’s Postcode Lottery, WaterAid is helping get clean water, sanitation and hygiene services into 82 schools in Rwanda, as well as teaching students the benefits of good hygiene and helping them share their lessons beyond the school through community radio, helping transform the lives of whole communities.

Before the funding, students had to collect water from dirty sources and bring it to school for drinking, washing and cooking, affecting their health and performance at school.

As part of this project work, more than 26,000 people have been reached with clean water, 2,800 with decent toilets, and 5,400 with good hygiene.

By supporting the provision of clean water and decent sanitation in schools in Rwanda, the international charity is helping people live healthier, happier, more prosperous lives and supporting the Government’s efforts to reach everyone with these basic resources by 2020.

One student who has benefitted is 19-year old Louise. Louise is now helping to transform the hygiene habits of her community through all she has learnt at the school’s hygiene club. She said: “In the last year, there has been great improvement in our school water, sanitation and hygiene conditions. We also have a new latrine block near our classrooms; before, we used to walk a long distance to use the latrine. We also have a newly constructed rainwater harvesting tank; it is very big. I’m very sure it will solve our water problem forever.

“With improved water and sanitation in the school, I’m able to attend my classes regularly and I see myself attaining my future dream of becoming a professional film actor. I would like to study filmmaking. I share the knowledge acquired from the hygiene club with people at home. Before joining the school hygiene club, I could not relate with the health benefits that handwashing brings. We have constructed a tippy tap at home and I have taught everyone at home how to use it for washing hands after using the toilet.”

Over the past six years, People’s Postcode Lottery players across the UK have raised more than £11 million for WaterAid and a staggering £500 million for charity overall. Their vital support is transforming the lives of millions and contributing to a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. The money generated from players supports WaterAid’s work across sub-Saharan Africa. The People’s Postcode Lottery draw promoted by WaterAid in January will see 20 postcodes a day being drawn for the £1000 prize, with everyone playing in the postcode winning that amount for each ticket they play with.

Sanjay Singh, senior programmes manager at People’s Postcode Lottery said: “We’re delighted our players are able to share the joy of playing and winning as individuals and in their communities whilst helping transform lives in communities across the world. We are proud to support WaterAid’s work to bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to poor communities across the world; these three basics help people break free from poverty for good.”

WaterAid Chief Executive Tim Wainwright said: “We are really grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery in Liverpool for supporting our work in Rwanda and across sub-Saharan Africa, helping get clean water and decent toilets to communities, sparking a chain reaction that leads to lasting change. It’s also inspiring to see how young people are sharing what they have learned around sanitation and hygiene with their wider community, increasing the impact of the work.”