Thankful for a life with clean water

Imagine you’re back in first grade and the teacher tells you class is dismissed. You grab your supplies and run for the door excited after hearing from your parents and teachers that a drill is coming into your community and that soon you will have clean water. You run to where the drill is with your fellow classmates skipping, laughing, and screaming and you approach this huge yellow drill that resembles a giraffe. As you find your mom already by the drill, you run up to her and hold her hand as you watch clean water flow from this big yellow machine. And as a 1st grader you don’t realize what really comes next besides having water that is clear for drinking and bathing. You are excited you don’t have to miss school to walk to the river to fetch murky, stinky water anymore.

What you don’t realize yet is that your lifespan is now significantly increased. You’ll see your school graduation. You’ll go to university. Maybe you’ll even become a teacher in your home community, and you’ll get to witness your students never having to worry about missing school because they have a waterborne illness or have to go with their mom to fetch water from the river three miles away.

Now step back into your own shoes. Is your story with clean water similar to this story? For most of us, it’s not, but it is the reality of too many people.

According to the World Health Organization, out of 8 billion people on this planet, 2 billion people lack access to a reliable, clean water source. That’s 1 in every 4 people across the world that don’t have access to clean water. Clean water is necessary for a life of health, development, and opportunity. But, for far too many, clean water is not a guarantee.

We ask you to consider the role water plays in your own life.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Have I always had access to clean water?
• How often do I use water each day?
• What would it be like if I didn’t have water?
• How would I find time to walk for water?
• What would my, or my child’s, future look like without water?

Together, we can and ARE working toward a world where every person has access to this basic human right. Providing clean water to our partner communities in East Africa is possible because of the people that understand that giving transforms lives; It’s possible because of you. We are so thankful for clean water, our team of dedicated, passionate engineers, our partner communities, and you.

Join us in changing the world. One clean water system at a time. Learn more about getting involved and giving back here.