Chelsea Clinton recently told an audience at the SXSW Festival in Texas that she is obsessed with diarrhea in order to shed light on the dire need for clean water around the world.
According to a clip from ABC News, Clinton explained, “I find the fact that more than 750,000 children still die every year around the world because of severe dehydration due to diarrhea unacceptable,” she said, explaining that the reason this “no longer happens here in the United States is because we have clean water, largely.”
That’s a staggering number to imagine, especially since the availability of clean water was something I never had to worry about. Turn on the kitchen faucet whenever I needed so I could fill my glass with refreshing clean water. Step in the shower to wash myself clean at the end of the day. Turn the knob on the washing machine to wash my clothes with clean water.
Simple.
Last year, after meeting and becoming friends with Hallie Tamez, Associate Director of Development for WaterAid, I wrote about the work Water Aid does to bring clean water to underdeveloped countries worldwide. You can read my post here.
Last year at the Social Good Summit I met Jennifer Barbour, a fellow blogger (and someone who has since become a wonderful friend) who is passionate about social good causes. Jennifer is leaving today for Nicaragua, traveling with WaterAid America to see some of the work going on, while also representing Mom Bloggers for Social Good and the Global Team of 200.
This week (March 22) is World Water Day, a time to rally and tell Congress to support the Paul Simon Water for the World Act. Let’s do what we can – with videos, donations, blogging or using our collective, loud voices – on behalf of the 768 million around the world who are living without clean, safe water.
World Water Day wants to hear your story at #waterstory. Share it through social media, and tell your tales about water at @WaterAidAmerica, doing what we can to make sure that children worldwide are provided with the clean water they deserve.
Please join Jennifer Barbour on March 21 from 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST in a Twitter chat using #WaterAidNica as she hosts from Nicaragua. She will be in Bilwi, along with WaterAid America, to answer questions about her journey in Nicaragua. You can also tweet questions ahead of time to @socialgoodmoms using #WaterAidNica.
What will you do for World Water Day?
The need for clean water was brought home to me so vividly during our recent trip to India. Ah.
Such an important cause. It's really heartbreaking to think what is so readily available to us (clean water) is not so easily accessed in other parts of the world. Thanks for sharing the word. I tweeted too.
Great post, Cathy! Thank you for sharing and being involved. I'm so glad we connected and have become friends! Gotta love the blogosphere. 🙂
Amazing post! Thank you for sharing about this trip. I'm so excited to follow along.
Great post! Thank you for the wake-up call!
The whole water issue really freaks me out. It's unacceptable that in this day and age there are so many people without access to clean water. Will be interested to hear about Jennifer's trip to Nicaragua. Thanks for sharing this.