Water is taken for granted, it is something our bodies cannot live without, and something we use everyday. Hydration, washing, cooking,
production of food, and energy all need water to be able to function. An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day. Some people cant live with themselves if they don't take a shower every day or night. To Americans, a shower is a shower, and a glass of tap water is "unsanitary." to someone in a developing country like Cambodia, that could be the difference between life and death. If we sent people who had a good understanding on the importance on consuming clean water daily to countries like Cambodia, that would make a huge difference. Cambodia is suffering wit poverty also, number of rural poor is 3,765,582.8, so even if clean water resources were available, very few could afford it. Nobody should have to suffer without things that most take for granted because they are limited to resources. Not only do these people have to suffer through drinking the dirty water, they have to suffer through any disease or infection they might get from it. There are 0.2 per 1000 people in Cambodia, personal computers per 100 people is 0, so they cant even look up how to help themselves. Water quality and consumption means a lot t me because as an athlete I know how important it is to drink water, if I could change just one persons life or even educate them on how to change their own, I will achieve a personal goal, because there are so many great people out there that don't get even close to what they deserve.
Critical Need
Cambodia is in dying need of help, only 18% of the population has access to sanitized facilities. Lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours. diseases and infections have increased because they cook, bathe and make bowel movements in the water they drink, so water filters are in critical need to help save some peoples lives. Today 1 child dies every 21 seconds from a water related disease. In 2009, this number was every 15 seconds. More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99 percent, occur in the developing world. Life expectancy is 61 years old, and when comparing this to Canada's life expectancy, which is 81, this is very low. One of Cambodia's major exports is Fisheries Products, which is greatly related to water, if the people keep on polluting the water, the population of fish will die off along with the humans, considering the lots of people rely on the income of their fishing, a loss of that resource would greatly damage their living habits and cause life threatening situations.
Impact
Majority of Cambodians are very happy people, I picture most children have smiles on their faces, and people who have gone to Cambodia have said that the children light up with joy and gratefulness when you give tem the smallest thing to take back to their families. If Cambodia gets the help they deserve, the world will be a better place, death and sickness rates with greatly decrease, and communities will grow stronger. If only a few families receive water filters and education, they will share their resources, Cambodians are not greedy or selfish, the community is a family, and they are all trying to beat their struggles together. But it is hard to succeed when no one has the proper knowledge or opportunities, children are forced to work endless hours to support their family and friends in need. And the women are always on there feet, walking far distances to get the cleanest water available, caring for children with sicknesses and infections that cant be cured due to lack of resources.In just one day, 200 million work hours are consumed by women collecting water for their families, this is equivalent to building 28 Empire State buildings each day.
Feasibility
Nestle Pure Life is helping with funds to get the project up and running, the have more than enough financial income to help support this cause and they also know from experience and other projects what is takes to turn a community around and set them in good direction. Also they have incredible experience on water quality and vitamins and minerals you need to live a healthy life. Nestle will also provide water supplements to boost blood sugars and to increase nutritional value. I chose Nestle Pure Life because Nestle already has fair trade foundation and are very big on proper hydration and the importance on consuming natural spring water. Our program will run for 7 months, April 19 2014 to November 19 2014.
Large filters for each home and individual water bottle filters will be provided, also we will be building a well that will produce clean water for each community. Large filters are approximately $80 a piece and we will be purchasing 150. Smaller water bottle filters are around $15 to $20 and we will be buying 300, and the well will cost approximately $7000 and we are putting in 2 wells. Also we will be providing products for proper sanitation, like soaps, sanitizers, disinfectant, water purifier, dish soap, shampoo, and oral hygiene products. all of that will cost around $4000. In total, the start up for this project is estimated at 38000, and extra $2000 is added on to the cost for thing needed along the way, like permits and such.
Final Points
It is estimated that in the 1980s a child died approximately every six seconds from diarrhea. In an orphanage 15 km west of Phnom Penh, in the beginning of this NGO's history, many children got sick due to poor quality drinking water. They then received enough donations from an organization in Canada, which allowed this organization to buy a water purification system, which has dramatically reduced the number of sick children.
About Me
My name is Lauren Butterworth, I am 15 years old and I go to Bill Crothers Secondary School. I am a hockey goaltender for the Markham Stouffville Intermediate A Stars. I live in Mount Albert, Ontario, about an hour and 15 minutes North of Toronto. I grew up in a large family of farmers, so environmental needs and crisis mean a lot to me because I know how important certain thing like water are to the entire world, and that nothing alive can live without water.
http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/
http://thewaterprojects.org/water-in-crisis-cambodia.php
http://www.greenbang.com/what-do-we-need-water-for-of-course-food-and-energy-to_21639.html
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