When we moved into this house one of the first things we did was fill up a jug of filtered water because the water here is very chlorinated and I couldn’t drink it. This is where you picture me making an icky pouty face and roll your eyes.
Yes, we have clean water – as much as we can drink. And shower with. And clean and cook with. The only time we really complain about our water is if we run out of hot stuff before the shower is done (very rare) or if someone forgets to fill up the pitcher and we have to drink it warm. Or, God forbid, put ice in it.
This, I believe, is where we note these things as #firstworldproblems.
But they aren’t developing world problems. Those look more like this:
- Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness.
- Women spend 200 million hours a day collecting water.
- More people have a mobile device than a toilet.
Photo via Water.org
A five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day. There’s a reason there’s no sarcastic hash tag for this.
So, what now?
I’ve signed up to help raise money for Water.org. $25 is enough to provide clean drinking water for someone in the developing world for life. FOR LIFE.
Here’s the challenge:
When you turn on the tap or flush the toilet do you think about what your life would be like without water? We all need it to survive and yet nearly 1 billion people in the world don’t have access to safe water and 2.5 billion people don’t have access to a toilet. It’s 2012, and yet more people have a cell phone than a toilet. These facts take a moment to settle in and can make people feel powerless against a problem so big. Yet, there is something we can all do to help. Alongside the non-profit Water.org I am joining others who are working to end this crisis in our lifetime. Only $25 brings one person water for life and for the next 10 days I will be trying to raise enough money to help change the lives of 10 people. I’d love for you to join me. Donate to my fundraiser at http://give.water.org/f/10daychallenge/, start your own fundraiser or just learn more about the water crisis. Together we can make a difference.
