Water. As cupped hands splash it on face and neck, clean water refreshes after hard, hot work. Sinking down into a hot tub begins immediately soothing tired muscles. With anything from a quick rinse to a good scrub, water washes. Some even say water heals.
Clean water is essential to life. We can go without food for weeks, but we can only go a few days without water. Our bodies are made up of approximately two-thirds water. Water is necessary to sustain life.
Water covers almost three-quarters of the earth, but about 95.5% of the Earth’s water is undrinkable ocean salt water. Only about 2.5% of the earth’s water is fresh.
In some parts of the Earth, water is abundant and taken for granted We sometimes absent-mindedly run it down the sink as we cook or brush our teeth. In other parts of the world, water is so scarce that women and girls spend 25% of their day collecting it.
There’s no doubt about it, the human body needs water to live. But what happens when the only source of water isn’t clean? What happens when the same stream used for drinking has to be used for laundry and bathing as well? What happens when animals share the same source as humans?
Disease, that’s what happens. People remain chronically sick and don’t even know why. They can’t avoid it really; it’s a choice between drinking dirty water or drinking no water at all. It’s a terrible situation.
That’s why we’re so excited to be part of bringing clean drinking water to thousands of individuals when we go on our medical outreaches. We distribute personal water filtration devices called LifeStraws® that provide safe drinking water for almost four years. We teach people how to use them and we also provide education on how dirty water can spread disease and that proper washing of ones hands and face can prevent waterborne illnesses.
Water can do a lot of things. It refreshes, soothes, washes, quenches thirst, and even heals… when it’s clean. But dirty water brings illness. You can be a part of bringing clean, healthy, drinking water to thousands of people on our next outreach to Mberengwa, Zimbabwe. Find out more here .
"And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." - Matthew 10:42
