Walk for Water 5k Santa Barbara

Walk Their Journey. Change Their Future. Join us for a powerful and transformative experience at the Walk for Water 5K Charity Fundraiser, co-hosted by Pathway To Tomorrow and Drop of Water. This isn’t just a walk—it’s a step into the daily reality that millions of women and girls in Africa face just to access something as basic as water. Every day, women and girls spend 200 million hours hauling unclean water, often walking miles under a burning sun, along dangerous paths, carrying heavy containers. Every two minutes, a child dies from a water-borne disease, and 1.5 million children under five die annually in Africa from diarrhea caused by unsafe water. Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country, is in the grip of this devastating water crisis. Nearly half of its 125 million people lack access to clean water, according to UNICEF. The situation is even worse in rural areas — where 80% of Ethiopians live and are hit hardest by this crisis, forcing women and girls to walk long distances just to find unclean water. Girls are expected to miss school to collect water for their families. Each journey robs a girl of her education, her safety, and her childhood. For far too many, these walks end in tragedies, like gender-based violence and death — not just exhaustion. We walk not just for awareness—but for action. This 5K fundraiser challenges participants to take 7,000 steps, representing the average distance many walk each day to collect water. As you walk, you’ll carry not just steps—but stories. Stories of resilience, hardship, and hope. You'll walk in solidarity with those who can’t just turn on a tap. We’re asking each participant to go further by asking friends, family, and coworkers to sponsor their steps with a donation to the cause, or join their team to fundraise or walk alongside them! Our goal? To raise $250,000 to fund 2 deep borehole wells and rural piping systems in up to 16 rural villages in Ethiopia. This will provide clean, safe, and sustainable