Today is World Water Day

Hello Everyone,

 

The goal of the annual World Water Day, celebrated today, is to acknowledge the benefits of clean water and to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people without access to safe water. The theme for this year is “Valuing Water”.

 For those of us who have clean drinking water, it is easy to take this amazing gift for granted. Not only can we drink safe water directly from our taps, but we can also bathe, flush toilets and water gardens with drinking water. Sadly, some communities in our own country of Canada lack safe water, an abysmal situation requiring immediate rectification. 

Our work in Cambodia has put us in touch with thousands of children and families who lack the basic human right to access clean water. Together with all of you KIDS supporters, we have just completed our Twentieth Water Project at a primary school in a rural Cambodian village.

The water we test is often very high in arsenic, coliform and iron, as many people get their water from ponds that are contaminated by animals, mosquitoes and chemicals used in farming. These bacteria and chemicals cause illness, absence from school and sometimes death. Over 3.4 million people do not have access to clean water in Cambodia.

K.I.D.S. water projects provide close to 16,000 children and teachers with clean safe water daily while attending school. The children and community also have access to the water systems and can take water home for their families. With a national average of close to five people per family, we are now providing over 60,000 people per day with safe water.

We also continue to monitor and test the water at all K.I.D.S. water projects to make sure all systems are working. Recently we completed upgrades on three of our older systems and we are hoping to launch at least two more projects this coming year.

It is uplifting to see the difference it makes once the water projects are up and running at these village schools. Water is truly life-changing and improves health, education and economies.

So next time, 

before you drink, 

think!!! of the value, 

you hold in your glass.

Cheers!!!

Until Next time,

Rick and Adrianne