Rising Tides, Uganda 2009This morning my shower drain was clogged. The water began to build up around me, it wasn't horrible, but it was enough for me to get out and do something about it. I reached down, pulled out the build up, and got back in. I will later go get my permanent solution, which would be draino.
Water is a part of our everyday, it is a necessity, a given. In developing countries, stagnant water is the curator of disease, failed crops, and a struggling society. I was in Guatemala 2 years ago, and that was when this became so apparent to me. In northern Guatemala, as in all developing countries, diseases and disorders run rampant. It is the normalcy to see children with tumors, ADD, scabies, etc. I believe that this has to do with the water source. If fish die in Lake Atitlan due to unnecessary compounds every year, who says we as well are not living in a fish bowl?
I am a strong believer in education. However, I now believe that this is not at the top of the pyramid. If you do not have access to clean water, then how will you get to school? Water is the new education. It has the power to bring down houses, to wipe out structures. It also has the ability to bring life, it is something we crave. This simple compound is the backbone of what we are made up of.
Scientists just discovered a significant amount of water on the moon. This mission cost us 79 million dollars. According to the World Health Organization, disease due to unsafe water accounts for approximately 2.5 million deaths a year. I think this is a really neat product, http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pritchard_invents_a_water_filter.html. If we put 1 million of that 79 million dollar mission towards this.... imagine what that would do. Hm...maybe we should take care of ourselves first, before going to get a drink on the moon.
Health Clinic: Water Source for people, crops, and livestock. northern Guatemala, 2008
Uncharted waters, Lake Victoria, 2008
Disappearing lands, Tambopata River, Amazon, Peru
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