81: WWW - Not the Web, World Water Day

Today marks World Water Day, and I know how lucky it is to have running water and toilets. As I sat down to write this, I imagined living in Kenya or Ethiopia, having to walk a few miles just to carry home the water I need to drink or to use in cooking each day. Then I imagine trying to keep myself or my home clean. How many trips would I have to walk with buckets to get enough water? Could I even do that in one day? I appreciate my water, but I also take it for granted. I do try to conserve and be efficient, especially since I read my friend Katie's book about rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean in order to raise awareness about the global water crisis. And it's more than just getting access to water. I mean, we could ship a pallet of water to a small village, and that would last a day. Not a great solution. We could install pipes and pumps and get water running, but who would maintain the system over time? Water solutions must include education and training about the systems, the engineering, hygiene, sanitation, and so much more. If we can do this, though, we can eliminate many diseases and deaths in areas who previously had limited or distant water access. We also help make living safer, especially for women. 
Thankfully organizations like Water.org are helping people get access to water and sanitation around the world. "We find that Water.org is open to new ideas and experimentation. They are quick to respond and very quick to answer. All of the staff members are committed to the water development and sanitation process. [Water.org] believes that this work is important and good for the people. They have commitment as well as empathy. This attitude is quite reassuring to us. We are not left wondering whether they see an idea the same way . . . We know we are sailing together.'' - Nanda Vardhan, Society for Integrated Development in Urban and Rural Areas (SIDUR)" (http://water.org/solutions/) Water.org partners with many business and organizations to help find and fund solutions. This media page, http://water.org/news/, contains many resources for further research, including lesson plans for K-12 http://water.org/news/lesson-plans/. 
One of these days, i will challenge myself to simulate what it is like, but for now, I applaud the effort of organizations like Water.org and honor days like World Water Day. 

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