As I continue to explore the vast information as I work with Water.org I am devastated at how many children are affected by the lack of water and the detriment this it is producing. Children in poor environments roughly carry 1,000 parasitic worms in their bodies at any time. And when I read that more people in the world have cell phones than toilets, the lack of cleanliness being the world’s biggest cause of infection. How does one not look at this issue and want to make a change.
As I receive and read their newsletter and gain information through their site, I am captivated at how much effort is put into different areas of solving this huge problem. We mostly hear of undeveloped countries or those ruined by weather conditions as having water problems, but through these outlets you can choose a community to track, donate to the endeavors, and follow their progress through weekly updates while making a world of difference. I have chosen to track Haiti, one of the poorest nations with about 10 million people struggling daily to live. Practically 40 percent of this country's population collects water from creeks and streams, which is not clean or safe.
The Water Management Committee and The World Health Organization reinforce the issue that this is a universal concern and through political interest more is being heard and seen about the troubles throughout Haiti. Politicians are looking beyond their agenda showing us that this is a battle we all need to invest in so that all children, especially girls. Girls and women are the first to be affected by destruction as they shoulder the burden of caring for those who fall sick from dirty water or they drop out of school once they reach puberty because there are not separate sanitation facilities for boys and girls. Improving health outcomes throughout communities and increasing girls’ enrollment in schools is the goal within many areas. As politicians devote their time and effort we see contracts being issued and signed reinforcing the legality and commitment to laws and agreements made to institute health seminars to educate adults and children.
As I reflect on the water problem and the quandaries of young girls not being schooled and taking on the traditional role of caregivers, I am amazed and changed after just weeks of study. I am more mindful of how much water I use and take for granted. I think about the many families do not have access to water and cannot carry on what we consider to be the important tasks of the day. How women are affected which ultimately changes the outcome of the children. I cannot imagine the stressors either have to endure that shapes the people they become. As I see pictures and read articles, I am overwhelmed with a sense of joy as women and children are all jovial and take pride in each other’s company, as they learn from each other. However, what a difference a donation of $25 would make. With this donation children can have clean water for life! Yes, an astounding $25.
Reference
http://www.water.org/
Reference
http://www.water.org/
Terri,
ReplyDeleteWhen you point out that more people have cell phones than toilets that such a staggering statistic. I also had no idea how many parasitic worms can be found in our bodies. Those two sentences really caught my attention. A $25 donation does not seem like much but when you can see the difference in the lives it will save, it means so much. How often do we go to the store and easily spend $25 on things we do not really need. I will be more mindful of what I am buying so that I have more to give to others. The money I can give would make more of a difference in their lives than it will for me. The minister of our church speaks about giving. He does not preach to us that we have to give to the church but just to give. There are months that I give to the church and there are months that I give to other organizations such as CF, Livestrong, the American Cancer Society and others. Thank you for giving me another important donation site.
Amy
Hi Terri, It still hard to understand why safe drinking water is not a priority to every government official. It is a living necessity, not a leisurely. I donate to a free drinking water source. It’s goal is the importantce of safe drinking water for children it educates about a an osmosis drinking water filter system. Thank you for bring the issue up for others to take note. oxoxox
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Terri.
ReplyDeleteLooks like there are opportunities to implement innovative solutions for water problems in places, like Africa. Companies like Davis and Shirtliff Group is developing a water pump powered by solar panels and Plan International is helping residence heat water to 50C to kill dangerous bacteria (Ford,2008). Hopefully, Western countries and The World Bank are funding projects like these to allow these countries to implement long term solutions to serious problems.
Reference:
Ford, N. (2008). Seeking water solutions for Africa. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5327/is_338/ai_n29402636/
It is a good thing to address the issue of poverty affecting people all over the world. Water is very essential in a community. The idea of helping people through water.org creates an awareness about giving clean source of water to those that need it as a way of improving people’s health.
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