Social Justice Challenge: Water

This months issue at the Social Justice Challenge is about water and we are asked to answer some water related questions.

1.What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you think of Water as a social justice issue?

My first thoughts are about people in developing countries who have to walk far in order to get clean water. Often this takes several hours and therefore cuts into the time when these people could have been going to school (often it is children who do this task) or working in other jobs. Here in the west we turn on the tap and there it is, water. We all need water to survive but we never think about how we get it.

2. What, if any, exposure have you personally had to a water shortage?

Yes I have. We are not hooked up to the municipal water, instead we have our own well in my village. Occasionally the pump to the well breaks and we are without water. Sometimes for days on end before the right part can be found. This is usually just frustrating because we have to get water from somewhere else and go to friends if we want to shower. However living in a western country it is never dangerous. We do have access to clean water, just not right out of the tap.

3. What potential action steps can you think of that relate to this month’s theme of Water?

I am planning on signing up for this race. The aim is to raise money for different water projects, wells in Sudan, Chad and Kenya as well as purification plants and to raise awareness of the issue.

Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North.This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.