Water, something that we access without a second thought. A nice warm shower, a cup of coffee, cooked pasta and formula for a baby. These are just a few things that require water, clean water. I turn on my tap and out it pours; hot, warm, cold, fast, slow.....without considering that 884 million people access unsafe drinking water sources yearly. Inadequate amounts of water and unsafe drinking water kills and sickens thousands of children every day. It is reported that 1.6 million children, under the age of 5, die from diarrhoel diseases caused by contaminated water each year.
There seems to be a universal understanding that clean water is a human right. While partnerships throughout the world, some including UNICEF, Clean Water Action, Clean Water State Revolving Fund, ministry groups, private organizations, etc., work together to improve water supplies and sanitary conditions, the death toll of 4000 children, daily, continues.
Proposed article 31 pushes forward the fight to include a 31st article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that the access of clean water is a human right. This call to the United Nations is to make a revision to the originally established declaration, formed in 1948.
Additional information and research reveals the increase in secondary illness' due to dirty water, which causes a reduction in school attendance and academic growth. "Without access to water, education is almost impossible. Dirty water leads to a cycle of disease, missed school days, and high drop-out rates - especially for girls", states The Water Project. Communities that find a shortage of clean water experience great obstacles to helping oneself. They can't grow food, or go to school or work. The overall community continues in a cycle of poverty.
While it is hard for me to imagine the depths of despair that these communities, families and children experience I would like to consider how it relates to the children I work with. I am always considering new opportunities to introduce healthy habits to my children. I recognize that in many homes today children are not as active as they once were, they don't have access to fruits and vegetables and they may be surrounded by additionally harmful environments. Good information and early teaching of healthy habits is an attempt to reduce illness and disease and to increase productivity. Our physical health plays a role in our mental health and overall functioning, I believe it is my job to expose my children to the most preventative and holistic approaches, in order to create a healthy lifestyle.
Below you will find links to additional information regarding access to clean water and sanitation:
http://thewaterproject.org/schools/
http://thewaterproject.org/poverty.asp
http://www.unicef.org/wash/index_wes_related.html
http://article31.org/
http://www.unicefusa.org/work/water/
During your time in Mexico, how did you gain usable water? Or were you in a more civilized area?
ReplyDeleteGreat post! It is extremely full of information I had no clue of. I never thought that dirty water or lack there of could cause high dropout rates in girls alone. The more I think about it and all of the "mother nature" habits girls need to tend to with their bodies makes a whole lot of sense now. Again, great post!
ReplyDeleteHeather, as I wrote in in Kaitlyn's post I will not complain about my bad water anymore. You did a great job, lots of information.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather,
ReplyDeleteI had a vision when you spoke of how we use water on a day to day basis. Household chores, laundry, watering lawns, and washing cars are some ways that we can tighten our water use in the United States. My children are mindful in showers and when they brush their teeth, we talk all the time about how fortunate we are, and i encourage them not to take it for granite. You did a great. Thanks for the resources.
Hi Heather.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about all the ways we use clean water. Some places around the world are still asked to boil their water until they are told different.It makes me sad when I hear of children under the age of 5 die from a disease caused by contaminated water each year. Great post!!