Serving Bread

One of the cheapest resource available to us as Americans is [tag]water[/tag]. Though we can be a bit snobbish about our water (bottle over tap for example), our water supply is relatively safe coming out of the tap. Yet for the rest of the world, what we have would only be a dream.

World Vision‘s latest quarterly newsletter/magazine focuses on water resource issues. Americans use anywhere between 80-100 gallons of water a day (compare that with the average African family that uses a total of five gallons of water a day).

When we compare numbers, our privileges are astounding. Diseases linked to contaminated water kill a child every fifteen seconds—these are preventable diseases.

In the near future, countries will not go to war over oil, but over water. The desperation to find clean water supplies that can be used toward industry, domestic use and agriculture will be an important security priorities for many countries around the world.

There were a few fascinating points that these articles made:

1. The simple solution to poverty in much of West Africa is water. For example, trustworthy water supplies will free women (who do much of the search for clean water) to pursue other types of vocations.
2. As North Americans, we use (or waste) so much more water than many people in the world.
3. When people are thirsty, they will drink anything, regardless of whether the thing they are drinking is poison. That poison doesn’t just quench thirst, but it’s used in cleaning and preparing food.
4. There is hope. World Vision and other organizations have been working hard at developing wells and better access to clean water.

What can we do?

• We can use our financial resources to support [tag]World Vision[/tag] and other organizations committed to developing clean water supplies
• Petition world leaders to work hard at providing better access to clean water.
• Pray for the prevention of conflicts and peaceful resolve in regards to water issues.
• Identify with the poor when it comes to how we manage our water use. Live on less water, drink tap, and remember those who don’t have.