Hello readers,

As you all know, water is a basic need for all living organisms that we know of. Plants, animals, and humans alike, we all need water to survive. In literature, water symbolizes life and cleansing. However, for nearly one in seven people, this basic necessity is all too hard to get. In Africa, women and girls trek miles upon miles in the hot sun to retrieve water from the nearest well or stream, all while sacrificing their education and careers. In Southeast Asia, children are forced to drink from water contaminated with unhealthy bacteria and human waste because it is their only option aside from going thirsty. Although citizens of first world countries, most likely everyone reading this post, like to believe that all people have equal access to clean water, the reality for those third world citizens is one of thirst and illness.

Even after years of stories of people deprived of clean water, we still aren’t doing enough to ensure plentiful clean water for both the people of today and the people of the future. 3.575 million people, the same number of people as there are living in Los Angeles, die every year from lack of water or water related diseases. And for those who manage to survive off of the inadequate conditions, their opportunities to receive a proper education or move up out of poverty are very slim due to the fact that they must spend so much time retrieving water for themselves and their families and the fact that they may become ill from the water. Things like lack of good water have kept many families and even populations in poverty for centuries. They’ll continue to be restrained from their full potential until someone does something to help them. In third world countries, especially women and children, people who have big dreams and aspirations are forced to put their life on hold to fetch water. Until this ends, the overwhelming gap that exists between rich and poor people will continue to ruin the lives of those on the bottom of the totem poll. The poor will become poorer and the lower class will never see the light of day that is the middle class unless they can have better access to water.

You may be asking “what can I do to aid the people in need of clean water?” Many organizations exist today that help people in need of water, yet not enough people know about them to make a substantial difference. If you feel as passionate about like this issue as I am, visit http://www.unwater.org/ or research other water organizations to find out how you can help.