For 2 years Joel and I pumped our own water into old 20 liter oil containers that we had first scoured clean. After waiting most of the day, we lugged them 200 yards or so to our home. Fortunately for us, our village had a working (most of the time) foot pump that accessed water from deep within the water table, and went straight into our buckets without being contaminated. This pump was located fairly close to our house,and still by the time we made it home we were huffing and puffing and covered in sweat and grime.
Buuut....On the occasions where the pumps broke, this is what the alternative water source looked like:
Lets just say it was not the cleanest water. And at least a 20-30 minute walk from our house (with empty water containers!) Fortunately for the Americans, back home we had fancy shmancy water filters! Not so for everyone else in our village. Which is why a big part of my training included water purification and prevention/treatment of diarrheal disease.
This type of situation and worse goes on all over the world. Clean water is going to be THE defining humanitarian issue throughout this century. But its also a relatively simple problem to solve.
Which is why I'm backing this awesome initiative to train our children how to live right, and help others live well. Check it out at: Clean Water for Elirose. This is not your normal children's book, and it is guaranteed to not only raise awareness but also promote simple yet effective action.
Please take a few minutes and check it out! I happen to know the author and he is one of the most passionate and well-informed guys out there (You can check him out at Trying to Follow: Thoughts on the Journey). Just give the book a look, and if you don't feel like participating, at the very least you can read it for free online and share it with your own family!
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