Be The Change - Part One

Introduction

Water is an essential resource for human survival, and access to clean water has also been deemed by the United Nations as an essential human right. Currently, 746 million people around the world, roughly one tenth of the world’s population, do not have access to safe or sanitary water. The extent of this water crisis is only increasing, as every 21 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness. Additionally, according to the Northwestern Journal of International Human Rights, water consumption grows by a factor of two every twenty years, which is twice the rate of global population increase, indicating that population growth is not the only cause of of the world’s astronomical water consumption rate. One major organization dedicated to solving this cause is UNICEF. Since 1990, two billion people have gained access to clean water with their help. Using donations from sources like the UNICEF Tap Project, UNICEF is able to train local entrepreneurs and engineers how to create wells, by using manual drilling to create boreholes, and also to promote sanitations practices, like increased handwashing, and discouraging open defecation. Their main approach to this problem is to create access to clean water and promote good hygiene and sanitation practices.  According to Nature Materials, a solution to the global shortage of clean water is carbon-nanotube-based membranes or robust bioinspired membranes but these solutions will take years to become affordable for even developed countries.  It could take twice that time for them to become available to countries in need, and shortages are already occurring

The lack of sanitary water supply is an issue that also has roots within America itself. Although water scarcity is commonly considered purely a third world issue, it is important to comprehend the significant impact that water scarcity has in certain regions of the United States. Water shortages not only affect citizens residing in drier climates such as Arizona, but also impacts those that live in cities that have abundant access to water; due to recent increases in pollution, demand, and other factors, even regions that have never lacked water are finding themselves in unforeseen situations involving water shortages. The average American uses upwards of 100 gallons of water per day, which is significantly more than people in other countries, such as China; in China, daily water consumption per capita is less than half of what Americans use on average. Additionally, much of American water consumption is unnecessary and can be significantly reduced by taking basic procedures to change; according to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans can reduce their overall water use by up to 30% by simply installing more water-efficient fixtures and appliances. Another issue is water contamination. According to the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, “waterborne and foodborne diseases continue to cause significant morbidity in the U.S.” For example, there were 1330 water-related disease outbreaks in the U.S. in 2002, the sources ranging from recreational water to drinking water.

Existing Organizations:

~UNICEF  http://www.unicefusa.org/mission/survival/water

~The Water Project http://thewaterproject.org/?gclid=CNCu2v2rrL4CFU5afgod2QgAGQ

~Water is Life http://www.waterislife.com/

Be The Change - Part Two

Part 2

Organization Name: The Ripple Effect

Mission Statement:

We will help put a stop to people dying from waterborne illnesses and suffering from unsanitary water.  We will provide access to sanitary water to people in developing countries that do not already have a source of fresh, safe, and clean water by raising funds and awareness and utilizing technology to build the wells and sanitation devices. We will make our impact sustainable by teaching people how to care for their water supply. Clean drinking water is a basic human necessity that everyone should have. When people have clean drinking water, they will have better health and will be able to concentrate on going to school, overall causing a dramatic positive change in their lives. We will be the reason people stop dying from waterborne illness.

Made to Stick Concept: Drowning in our own thirst

Less than 1% of the world’s water supply is suitable for human use. Around the world, more than 700 million people suffer from not having access to clean water. Humans are figuratively drowning from this problem because not having clean water can lead to a multitude of other issues aside from dehydration and heat stroke; these include water-borne illnesses, poor sanitation, poor education,  unsuitable agricultural conditions, and general poverty. If water is the key to survival, why is it killing us?

Be The Change - Part Three

Goal #1: Raising money and awareness about the current situation

-Raise at least $100,000 in three years, through presentations and other fundraising events.

-Visit local schools and institutions to raise awareness about the inaccessibility of clean water around the world

-We will educate people about the lack of usable water in the world, and also explain all the other problems that are caused by this issue.

Goal #2: Teach people good sanitary water practices how to maintain their water supply and purification devices

-In three months we want to have educated three towns in Lesotho on good practices involving hand washing, boiling water, separation drinking water and cleaning water

-In two years we want to have educated 24 towns in Lesotho on good practices involving hand washing, boiling water, separation drinking water and cleaning water

-The prevalence of waterborne illnesses will have a 15% decrease in Lesotho after 3 years

Goal #3: Utilize research and technology to provide efficient purification methods and devices.

-In three months we want to have started long term research into developing a practical and cost effective method that could be utilized to purify water.

-In three years we want to have come up with or developed a practical and cost effective method that could be utilized to purify water.

-Distribute current purification devices to residents of Lesotho

-Build clean water wells to make water available to residents of Lesotho

Be the Change - Part Four

Goal #1: Raising money and awareness about the current situation

Raising money and awareness is a crucial step in helping solve the problem of the world’s water supply. Only with the necessary money and resources can we hope to fix this issue. In order to do this, we will recruit volunteers to hold awareness events and fundraisers in the community. At community events, we will set up information booths with posters and staffed with volunteers that educate the public about the problems we are focusing on, the mission of the charity, and ways they could get involved. We will visit high schools in order to target a passionate, giving population. At high schools, we can hold both long term fundraisers and spontaneous fundraisers in the form of Miracle Minutes. We can also try and get school organizations involved, such as Key Clubs and community service clubs. These presentations do not have to be extremely fancy because we are taking advantage of locations events that are already taking place, thus keeping costs at a minimum. After three years, we want to have raised $100,000 through these activities.

Goal #2: Teach people good sanitary water practices how to maintain their water supply and purification devices

Our second goal is to educate the populace about water cleanliness, teaching people proper and sanitary water practices. Specifically, we aim to educate citizens in the country of Lesotho, an impoverished and landlocked African nation, where 40% of its people reside below the international poverty line. In the short term, our goal is to have educated the residents of three towns on good practices involving hand washing, water boiling, and properly separating water for cleaning and consumption. In the longer term, approximately two years, we hope to have educated 24 villages in Lesotho about sanitary water keeping practices. By spreading education and understanding about how to hygienically utilize water resources, we aim to lower the prevalence of waterborne illnesses in Lesotho by 15% in three years. To be able to efficiently and pragmatically commence water related education in Lesotho, we suggest involving the Peace Corps or similar volunteer organizations to help implement our plans. These volunteers would be trained at special volunteer orientations about safe water practices, and then would be deployed to Lesotho to help educate the general populace.

Goal #3: Utilize research and technology to provide efficient purification methods and devices.

Even having a supply of water is not sufficient for survival. Every 21 seconds, a child dies from a water-borne illness. Our third goal involves the distribution of current purification devices to residents of Lesotho and the building of clean water wells to make water available to residents of Lesotho. This way, we will be able to provide water to the people of Lesotho and the means for them to use their resources. This can be done simultaneously with our second goal (education goal). However, current purification devices are not practical or cost effective. For example, the LifeStraw is an effective water purification device that removes almost all waterborne bacteria and parasites, but is expensive and needs to be replaced every single year. To relieve the cost, we will try to form a partnership with a water purification company, such as LifeStraw. We also plan to start long term research into developing a cost effective, practical, and efficient purification device.