Water In The Third World

Living in Wichita Falls, we think we know what a water crisis is. As a town we went through a stage five drought which meant recycled toilet and shower water, dead ugly lawns and no trips to the lake. However, the 2.5 billion people who don’t have clean enough water to remain healthy would consider themselves blessed to have a “water crisis” like ours.

Worldwide, approximately 6 to 8 million people die from not having access to clean drinking water. In fact, it is the leading cause of death in children under five years of age. Sadly only six percent of national aid goes to helping families in need in third world countries.

The educational lives of women and children in third world countries are at risk because they have to collect dirty water, which interferes with school. This means that while kids could be learning to read or solving basic math equations, they’re carrying jugs on their backs across great distances. Usually the buckets contain about five gallons of water. Imagine being an underweight seven-year-old girl carrying a 41 pound bucket across about three miles. That’s a water crisis.

Approximately 1 out of 9 people do not have access to clean water.

Access to adequate water and sanitation would result in about $18.5 billion in economic benefits per year nationwide for the U.S. because of the people who would be working and adding to the world economy. More workers means more money, which in turn, means more buying and selling.

U.S. citizens do not realize the struggle in other parts of the world because we live in a country where basic human needs are as easy to reach as turning a faucet. Luckily, there are many opportunities to help families in need.

One example would be the UNICEF tap project. For every 15 minutes you go without your smart phone, five collapsible buckets of water go to a child in need. The record time has been 71,000 minutes, and Texas is the third most helpful state, with California at number one.  Google UNICEF tap project and click on the link. The website has lots of interesting facts and opportunities to help families in need. Donations to UNICEF also help. $5 is enough money to provide a child with 200 days of water.

Making a difference is easy if you simply put in the time. The United States is known for helping others in war, but we can make a much greater difference in bettering the everyday lives of people by supplying them with a basic necessity: water.