I am excited again this year to Walk for Water!
Every day millions of people, mostly girls and women, have to walk 3 to 6 miles daily just for water, carrying back as many gallons as their strength can manage. Most of the time, the water they can find is contaminated and makes them sick. Due to the time required just to gather this basic human need, girls have to forgo education and women cannot develop their farms or businesses that would bring a better life for their entire family. In addition, they constantly live under the cloud that the very water they need so desperately to survive may actually kill them or their families, especially their babies.
Every 20 seconds, a person, often a very young child, dies of a VERY PREVENTABLE water borne disease. Every 20 seconds, of every minute, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year. That is over 4,000 persons each and every day, 1.5 MILLION persons a year. Think of that for a moment in comparison to the toll of the recent ebola outbreak, which has infected approximately 24,000 persons and resulted in approximately 10,000 deaths. I do not wish to undervalue any of these lives, nor to say that the intense international response to the outbreak was inappropriate, as I believe all life is sacred and deserves our awareness and help. But I do want to point out the ongoing, day to day crisis that is entirely preventable but often never even reaches our awareness.
That is where Water Missions International comes in. They have not only raised awareness but have developed a system for assisting these communities in providing safe and sustainable water and sanitation treatment systems for their populations. Their efforts have enabled families to be healthier, for them to begin to develop cottage industries and for girls to be able to stay in school and receive vital education. Water Missions International have provided hope and a future for so very many.
I have volunteered with these folk, based here in Charleston, putting together the treatment units for shipment. I could go on and on about the technology and engineering aspects, but suffice it to say these folk have it down to a science.
Each dollar raised by this event is going to make an impact through a safe water community development project! Won’t you consider making a donation to support our vision?
Thank you so much for your support and I hope you will walk with us, if not physically, then in spirit.
You can donate to my walk here: http://events.watermissions.org/…/E…/CharlestonWalkforWater…
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