Our days are flooded with the word ‘why’. You see, we have a 3 year old, 5 year old, and 8 year old. Most questions start with the word ‘why’ and most statements are answered with the word ‘why’. At Three Avocados people ask us ‘why’ questions, too. Here are a few: Why help Africa? Why help Nicaragua? Why do you sell coffee? These are all good questions. They all have good answers, too. I promise. The most frequent question asked is, ‘Why water?’
You see, in the United States, we don’t think a lot about water. For most of us, it’s never really been a pressing issue; it’s there when we need it. For most of the US, clean water is readily available in almost every place you are each day. Think about it. You have water at home. At work. At school. On the bus or in the car? Going to the park or zoo? Don’t worry! There are water bottles that you can take with you and water fountains on the way.
The reality is that most of the world isn’t like the US. 780 million people lack access to clean drinking water. 63 kids die each day in Uganda alone from lack of clean drinking water. So, why water? It matters. Take a look –
When a community is given clean water, young girls can stop walking 4 miles to fetch water and start attending school. Good schooling helps the economy grow as those students with an education have skills and knowledge to use and pass on. Finally, a community has hope from clean water.
So far over 15,000 people in Uganda have been given clean water though your coffee purchases in just under 3 years. 15,000 people are on their way to a better education and economy. 15,000 people have been given hope for a better tomorrow. That’s something pretty amazing and makes me happy to answer the question, ‘Why water?’.
