LatinaLista — The days of taking drinking water for granted is quickly coming to an end. With extreme drought predicted to only worsen in the United States in 2013 and climate change playing havoc with water supplies, communities are taking a hard look at how to preserve their water reserves.
Unfortunately, this issue is not new in many parts of the developing world and in underserved areas of our own nation. In honor of World Water Day and because we like to spotlight those nonprofits making a difference in their communities, we decided to dedicate today’s Spotlight Nonprofit to several organizations working to bring communities safe, drinkable water.
Nearly 1 billion people don’t have clean drinking water
Water Without Borders was created from the understanding that lack of safe drinking water is the leading cause of disease, civil strife, hunger, and birth defects in the world. Water Without Borders is a nonprofit organization with international reach, dedicated to providing sustainable sources of safe drinking water. So far, our efforts have taken us to South Dakota, Africa, Haiti, and Honduras.
Most of us have never really been thirsty. We’ve never had to leave our houses and walk five miles to fetch water. We simply turn on the tap, and water comes out. Clean. Yet there are 800 million people on the planet who don’t have clean water.
We’re not offering grand solutions and billion dollar schemes, but instead, simple things that work. Things like freshwater wells, rainwater catchments and sand filters. For about $20 a person, we know how to help millions.
Solving the water crisis looks different in every country. We’re committed to working with organizations that embrace innovation and creativity in the way they work on the ground.
Just a Drop
EVERY 20 SECONDS, A CHILD DIES FROM A WATER RELATED DISEASE
Moved by this plight, Just a Drop was launched in 1998 as an international water aid charity. Fiona Jeffery, the charity’s founder, learnt that just £1 can deliver clean water to a child for up to 10 years. Just a Drop was born, based on the premise that if people can be encouraged to give a little then collectively we can make a huge difference.
Water.org believes everyone in the world should have sustainable and affordable access to safe water and sanitation. To get there, we must fundamentally change the system. And this change must be driven by the intrinsic power of the poor as customers and citizens.
To accelerate the pace of progress, Water.org has launched its New Ventures Initiative and Fund. This is a philanthropic pool of capital generated by venture-minded philanthropists and problem solvers eager to team with Water.org to search for and launch the next round of big ideas that will change the face of this crisis for those that live it every day.
While continuing to drive our programs forward across the globe, investments in the Fund will catalyze an “Idea Lab” at Water.org. The Idea Lab will support Water.org teams and partners to generate new ideas, develop hypothesis, and to pilot, monitor, and take solutions to scale. It will support a portfolio of innovations experimental in nature creating things like mobile apps, financing mechanisms, citizen engagement tools, and things we haven’t thought of yet.
We invite you to join us. Together, we can bring forth the capital, tools, and partnerships needed to channel the intrinsic power of those in need and solve the water crisis.
