When we need clean water to wash our hands, to wash the dishes after a sumptuous meal, to do the laundry, to water the plants or simply to drink, all we need to do is to turn on the tap and water will start flowing. Have it ever occurred to you how that clean water goes from the reservoir or water catchment area to the comfort of your home? I remembered learning this in my science class during my school days many years back.
Being born in a nation where clean water, which is fit for drinking, is made readily available, I am guilty to say that I have also taken water for granted from time to time and this video brings back the reality that many in the world today still do not have accessed to clean water every day.
The worst experience which I had previously encountered was going for days without water for showering, cooking and normal washing up and it was more of a discomfort issue than a survival one. So how could I possibly hope to experience or understand what they are going through in their live everyday? These activities which are norms for many everyday are possibly a dream or luxury for people who do not even have clean water for the basic need of living.
Some facts, according to Drop in the Bucket:
“More than 70% of our planet’s surface is covered in water. Of that water, 97% of it is seawater and of that remaining 3%, only about 1% is suitable for drinking. Of that 1%, only 0.08% is accessible to humans. There are more than 7 billion people on the planet. That means there are more people alive right now than there have ever been. Of those 7 billion people, 783 million have never tasted a glass of clean water.
1 in 8 people lack access to clean, safe drinking water. Every day 4500 children will die from water related disease. Most of these deaths are preventable.”
For anyone who wants to help, you can go to Drop in the Bucket for more information on how you can reach out.
Watching the above video and reading the facts may not change the reality that many are still suffering without access to clean drinking water, but I certainly hope that with the awareness raised, people would be inspired to start caring for others in developing countries. These people do not exist in another world, the reality is that these people are suffering in the same world where you and I are thriving.
As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
_____________________________________
Photo credit: Department for International Development/Russell Watkins
- Letting Go of Confusion Let Go and Trust - May 9, 2024
- Lose All the Cryptos in Your MetaMask Wallet to Crypto Scams - September 11, 2023
- 8 Fruits that may Help Us to Lose Weight - July 14, 2023