World Water Day - March 22, 2011

A young orphan gets a glass of water from their Biosand Water Filter in Wongonyi Village, Kenya.

When we are thirsty and want a drink, we simply go to the tap, turn it on a fill our glass with cool clean, safe water. Need clean clothes - throw them in a washer and hit the button. Water fills the machine to clean our clothes. Have a dirty body - turn on the tap and enjoy a long, hot shower ar a relaxing bath, all which take lots and lots of water.

But in most of the developing world, clean safe water is a rare commodity, a luxury that most cannot afford or even find. Often women must walk for miles to fetch water which they then have to carry home balanced on their heads, causing pain from neck compression. Young children must take time away from school if their chore is to fetch the water. And more often than not the water comes from dirty streams, ponds or other unsanitary sources which then leads to disease and illnes taking precious time away from school or work.

Today is World Water Day, a time when all of us should consider those who do not have access to this basic human right and how wasteful we who do have plenty of water are. We in the West forget were our water comes from, that it is a fragile resource that someday might not be as accessible as it now is.

In Wongonyi Village, Kenya we are working to address the issue of clean safe water through our Biosand Water Filter project. Through a grant from Bracebridge United Church we were able to purchase a steel mold for manufacturing these home water filters. Many families in the village have been able to purchase the filters for a nominal fee. Most recently, a donation from the local unit of Eastern Star allowed us to start manufacturing and distributing water filters to orphans who cannot afford to purchase the units. Already villagers are telling us the health benefits they have received through reduced days of sickness from waterborne illnesses. Isaiah Mwandami, an orphan himself looking after two orphan siblings, is our Biosand Water Filter project manager visiting homes and schools in the area telling them about the Biosand Filters and educating people about proper sanitation procedures.

Although today is the official World Water Day, we urge you to consider how fortunate you are to have access to unlimited clean safe water and to encourage you to conserve waterevery day in your daily activities. Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth, take a 3 minute shower instead of a bath, run the dishwasher or clothes washer only when they are full and flush the toilet only when necessary (if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down) - they may seem like simple things to do but they can all add up to saving our water supply. Remember that water really is a precious commodity.