The idea… began with a freshman in high school and the simple desire to affect millions of people; months later, the creation of “Pennies To Purify” came to be, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization through WaterAid America that could involve the entire community from where the student lived. By creating her own charity, the student was able to assist parts of the world that lacked the daily necessities taken for granted in the Unites States, such as safe water and sanitation, as well as inform numerous countries on hygiene education. The foundation was to make a difference in the poverty-stricken communities of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Region, helping a larger charity by beginning a smaller branch of it in her hometown. 

The problem… is the insufficient amount of safe water and the too few ways to access any water that could be of use. Seventeen countries in the world, which is approximately 40 % of the population, are currently suffering from these issues as well as water-related diseases that kill over 5000 children each day. Usual water sources are open wells, muddy dugouts, streams, or waterways, and, despite which source is used, most are still polluted with harmful bacteria. The energy expended on transporting large containers of water home lessens an individual’s resistance as well as the time it takes to find and carry water each day does not allow for any work or school; this eventually causes a lack of income within families and the medical bills to treat disease are not able to be paid. With each problem causing more extreme effects upon other problems, the African, Asian, and Pacific Regions are not able to pull themselves away from poverty without help from more fortunate countries.

The start of a solution… is to raise money in order to implement projects that generate accessible water sources with clean water, latrines to continue sanitation, drainage systems, laundry facilities, education on the collecting groundwater, and more. Rural and urban areas are both in distress over the lack of safe water, causing a chain reaction of issues that cannot be solved without volunteers and donations. Over the past 25 years, 11 million people have made progress through WaterAid’s honorable programs, creating more time for daily chores, work, and education. With help from the people like you, the world’s most poverty-stricken communities may be able to contribute to everyday society and enjoy the simplicities of life that we take for granted.

For more information, please visit http://www.wateraid.org/usa/.