HAWTHORN defender Brent Guerra is a new ambassador for WaterAid Australia.

WaterAid works in 27 countries around the world in conjunction with local partners, communities and governments to give the world’s poorest people access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene by implementing and improving water supply systems, toilets, hand-washing facilities and hygiene programs.

In his role as an ambassador, Guerra will aim to raise awareness of the sanitation and water crisis and the organisation’s work with poor communities around the world.

Guerra said part of his enthusiasm in joining WaterAid is the ability to educate Australians in the struggles of the world’s poorer countries.

He says it’s hard to imagine people living without clean, safe water and the proper systems needed for safe hygiene purposes.

“I decided to support WaterAid to help people in communities around the world and to let people in Australia know about WaterAid and the millions of people who go without safe water and the billions of people without safe sanitation,” he said.

“Incredibly, 2.5 billion people in the world do not have a toilet and over 750 million people do not have access to safe water. This causes preventable diseases and deaths, and keeps people in poverty.

“It is difficult to imagine living life without access to clean water and a toilet. I am keen to promote the necessity of safe water and sanitation in the developing world by becoming an ambassador for WaterAid.”