The WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) crisis currently impacts 2 billion people according to the World Health Organization. Liana Tyrrell, Malawi Field Manager, shared, “Illnesses caused by contaminated drinking water aren’t just an inconvenience for people in Malawi, they’re actually one of the leading causes of death for children under 5.” But it’s not just contaminated drinking water that is a problem, people also deal with lack of access to proper toilet facilities and handwashing stations.
Every October in Wisconsin, something amazing happens. The humid, thick air of summer shifts to a crisp, cool, northern breeze. Trees exchange their green leaves for more seasonally-appropriate yellows, oranges, and reds. Everywhere you look, a pumpkin-flavored coffee drink is available for a limited time only.
But halfway around the world, it’s a different story.
How much water do you use in one day?
Think about it for a minute.
On average in the United States, one person uses upwards of 80 gallons of water per day.* Water that can be accessed simply by walking to the sink. For most of us, we don't have to worry about gathering, collecting, or storing the water we need for each day of the year.
But for Reza and his family, water had to be collected by carrying as many plastic jugs as they could carry down a hill to the river, fill them, and make the trek back up the hill.
Every morning Mari would wake up long before the sun rose so she could collect water for her family. Her bare feet quickly became damp with the morning dew as she made her way along the well-worn path to the spring. The empty water jugs bounced against Mari’s back as she took a deep breath of the fresh jungle air that smelled of fire smoke and cinnamon...
