Global Hope India

Empathy

Published Tue, Oct 24, 17. Written by Shannon Smith.

In Africa, women spend 40,000,000,000 hours a year walking for water.

The average distance that women and children walk for water in Africa and Asia is 3.7 miles.

For years, I have read and said things like the this.  I have spouted off statistics and told stories of the plight of those X women and children.  I have asked numerous people to pick up containers of water to allow them experience the weight of the burden carried by those without local access to clean water.

Until Saturday, September 22, 2017, my experience with carrying water was limited to setting up for presentations and toting around a 750mL personal water bottle [add link to our water bottles].  While I had sympathy for the those we serve and a desire to improve their lives.  I have never walked in their shoes.  I have never had to take the long walk to water.  I had never tried to understand better by experiencing their daily journey of carrying what’s necessary for our survival.  I had no empathy.

This Fall, our partner Global Hope India, held Carry the Water, a 5K with a twist.  As a part of the event, participants carried containers to collect water.  Two-thirds of the way through the course, we filled our containers with water and carried them to the finish line.  A generous sponsor had committed to fund up to four clean water projects based on how much water was collected by the racers.

Our family of five participated in the event.  We brought with us containers similar to those I have witnessed people carrying in the communities we serve.  We had jerrycans, buckets, and large water jugs.

The race started with a walk through the beautiful Dorthea Dix Park.  Carrying the containers was a little cumbersome, but no real burden.  We reached the water source having not broken a sweat, as the weather was nice and the course was mostly shaded.

After filling our containers to the max we could carry, we set off for the final mile.  From the beginning, the water was heavy.  I carried a five gallon water cooler bottle.  My wife, Kim, and friend, Amber, each had a jerrycan, and my 10-year-old-son had a bucket.  In total we had roughly 12 gallons (100 lbs) of water.

Carrying the water got more difficult with each step.  We had to shift how we carried the containers and trade off who carried which.  The walk that would normally take 10-15 minutes turned into 30 minutes.  Near the end, another participant came to our aid and helped carry the water.  Upon finishing, our muscles ached and we were covered in sweat.

To us, this was a workout unlike our normal routines.  To 648,000,000 people around the world, this is a daily reality.  I learned more on that mile walk than I have in years about why people need local access to clean water.  That walk gave me empathy for those we serve.

The walk also has increased my desire to help more communities.  I would love to have your help in lifting this burden from another community.  Your donation of $25 will change one person’s life, $100 can change an entire family.  Will you join me?

Carry the Water 2017

Thank You from Orissa, India

Published Sun, Mar 05, 17. Written by Shannon Smith.

We are on our way home from a wonderful week in India, where we visited many completed water projects.  The people being served by the projects were extremely grateful.  Earlier, we shared a video of Udian Nag explaining how the well in her village has impacted her life.  Below you can see where she and others in the village express their gratitude.

From the Field: Orissa, India

Published Tue, Feb 28, 17. Written by Shannon Smith.

This week, we are excited to be in India.  We are spending time with our partners here seeing the work that you all have helped us do, planning for future projects, and discussing how to improve our partnership.

On Monday, we visited a few villages where clean water projects have already been implemented.  We spoke with women in the village to hear directly from them about the impact the clean water project is having.  In the video below, we talk with Udian Nag.

Before our project was implemented, Udian was walking twice per day to the nearby river for water, in the morning and again in the evening.  She and others would take the 2km trek down to the river and carry back one canister on their heads and another on their hips.  This process of walking those 4km to collect just four gallons of water would take nearly two hours hours each time.

Udian was forced to walk to the river for water. She was denied access to the local well, which had been drilled by the government, because of her caste.  Now, she can get clean water close to her home.  Our well is universally accessible.

Having local access to clean water is saving Udian and others hours every day.  This extra time is helping their families financially.

We learned that many women and men work in the fields for day labor.  This work begins at 8AM.  If those wanting work show up later, they are often denied work for that day.  Having to walk to the river for water caused many women to miss working opportunities.  With water close by, they can now more consistently be available for the daily work.

We saw firsthand how water can change lives.  Families are healthier and more financially stable as a result of having local access to clean water.

Changed Lives in India: Water Improves Education

Published Mon, Feb 20, 17. Written by Shannon Smith.

Providing local access to clean water in a community has a wide impact.  Beyond improving the physical health of the community members, having abundant, clean water close by improves lives in other ways.  For example, educational opportunities are improved when less time is needed to be spent on the collection of water.

Below is one story from our field partner in Orissa, India.

Mr. Mahesh, a college student, has been able to continue his studies. Mahesh comes from a very poor family. He is the youngest son of poor and illiterate parents. His hard work and determination to study helped him to get passed in the 10th board exam with a good grade. Being excited with his result, his parents decided to help him continue his studies despite their poverty and financial struggle. So, because there is no college in his village, Mahesh had to rent a house and started going to the college.

It was not after a long time, he found it not possible to attend all his classes. In order to prepare food and to get a drinking water, Mehesh used to walk a kilometer which became much time consuming and as a result he missed many classes. Eventually, Mahesh had decided to quit his studies and go back to his village, but... A bore well was dug near to the house that Mahesh had rented and it was a miraculous experience for Mahesh. The tears of joy came out from his eyes when he learned about this news.

Mahesh says "I feel it as a spring of water in the desert land. I also feel the Lord has particularly made this provision for me as I had decided to quit my studies and go back to my village just because of the water problem. But now I am able to continue my studies and I believe the Lord has a great plan for my life and future and so He has done this miracle in my life. I am humbled before the Lord and do not have words to express my thanks and regards to you for digging this bore well"