The Struggle For Water

Living in America,  it is hard to imagine having to go without clean drinking water or having to walk miles for a five gallon bucket of water but in some countries this is a way of life.  Never knowing if there will be enough water or if the water they are drinking and using to cook their food in is going to cause them great illness people try to get by with what little water they have.  Did you know that on average 3.41 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene related issues?  The water sanitation crisis claims more lives on an annual basis than any war with guns ever has. In order to decrease the amount of disease spread through unsafe drinking water both latrine usage and hygiene must be improved simultaneously. To give you a better idea of the magnitude of this problem here is a sample of the statistics for just India alone.


Capital City: New Delhi
Population: 1.2 billion
128 million lack safe water
839 million have no sanitation services
5% infant mortality
25% live in poverty

gfa.org/water

The numbers are staggering and the loss of life is unimaginable.  We live in a day and age here in America and other advanced nations where we can literally have most anything we want with the click of a computer mouse or the push of a button and yet millions are struggling just to have some of the most basic human needs met.  They aren't worrying about their internet connection or cell phone coverage, they are just trying to survive.  There are more people that have mobile phones than toilets.  How can this be the norm for this day and age?  We claim to have advanced so far and yet for all of our neat technologies and economic growth, people in this world still don't have clean water and sanitation.

Matthew 25:40 says, "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me'

God demands better from us.  He clearly states that we are to help each other out especially in times of crisis and need.  So what can we do to help?  There are several ways in which to help and below are just a few examples of what can be done.  There really is no shortage of ways in which we can help.  You can get involved and donate for the cause of clean drinking water at Water.org and other organizations like it.  You can start a group within your church organization and sponsor a community.  You can donate money to have a clean water well put in a village.  You can donate your voice to help spread the word and raise awareness.  You can host a clean water drive and try to collect donations to help the cause.  The ways in which we can help are plenty and now it is up to us to take some action.  In order for this problem to have real progress it is going to take all of our efforts to make a difference.  We can no longer turn a blind eye to the suffering that happens right in front of us.  We all are Gods people and we all deserve the most basic life sustaining elements.  If we are to call ourselves Christians than this existence for all Gods people can no longer be the norm.  It is time for us all to rise up and take action and do our part to help.