I know I take water for granted quite often. How about you? I just turn on the tap and out comes a seemingly limitless supply. We use it for drinking, cooking, flushing, and bathing daily and while we might be concerned and a little upset by what is added to our water supply (fluoride, chlorine) we still have relatively safe and clean water at our disposal each and every day. Many people around the world are not so fortunate. My first world problems do not compare to what is going on globally.
In many places water is scarce or contaminated and unsafe for use. According to the Mom Bloggers for Social Good web site, 800 million people do not have access to it and 2.5 billion have nowhere safe and clean to go to the toilet. Hundreds of children die each day from contaminants found in the water, others miss out on their education. Mothers are unable to work while they nurse seriously ill children back to some measure of health. This is a travesty and something that we need to work to change as global citizens because as Americans we surely use more than our fair share of resources such as water. The LEAST we can do is help increase basic access for our bothers and sisters in other lands.
In January I encouraged you to donate to The World Food Programme and help with hunger. This month I ask you to consider donating to help with clean water access. In keeping with my New Year’s resolution #4 to do more for social good, I chose to donate this month to WaterAid (screen capture at the bottom of this post). WaterAid is a non-profit organization that is focused upon improving poor people’s access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation. They work in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region and campaign globally to help realize their vision of a world where everyone has access to these basic human needs.
The organization works with partners local to the impacted zones and they provide them with the skills and support required to help communities set up and manage practical and sustainable projects. They also work internationally to change policy and believe that water and sanitation are basic human rights and that they are the building blocks to improving health, education and livelihoods in these areas.
There are several ways to help with their work and I like the the promotion they have going on right now to donate $25 in honor of your sweetie for Valentine’s Day. I love this idea because surely we don’t really need flowers, chocolates, or stuffed animals but others around the globe do need clean water. I would love for you to tweet the message below and help me spread the word:
WaterAid also has an amazing option to donate a portion of eBay proceeds. If you sell there it is super easy to set it up so that anywhere from 10% to 100% of the proceeds from your auctions go to them. So perhaps you feel you cannot afford to donate cash but perhaps you can list a few books or household items on eBay and donate that way?
Take a look at the video below to learn more about the issue and the organization trying to affect change. Also be sure to sign up to receive their monthly e-bulletin to learn more and stay in touch with their activities and breaking news in some of the 27 developing countries where they work.
This post was written as a member of the Global Team of 200 a group of mom bloggers banding together to work for social good.
