Water - it's basic
Water is life. Too much or too little can spell catastrophe. It is a
fundamental need of all people, yet one out of every six people lacks access to
safe drinking water. Two million people - most of them children - die each year
from waterborne disease.
"...how critical to development access to potable water is!"
marvels Catherine Powers, CWS Associate Director of Community Fund Raising, just
back from a visit to East Africa. "It has such a multiplier effect for the
betterment of people's lives, especially women and children.
"With clean water, people can be healthier - which means more energy and
less money (if there is any) spent on medical care. With clean water, people can
water their animals and gardens - which provide a source of income as well as
food for the family. With clean water available close at hand, women and
children don't have to walk miles each day to fetch it - which means more time
for the women to tend to gardens, children, and even to rest, and more time for
children to go to school."
Water-related projects and policies are basic to Church World Service efforts
to build healthy, sustainable communities.
Water is also a profound symbol in Christianity and other faith traditions.
Christians are baptized into the faith with water. In John 4:10-15, Jesus
describes the very spirit of God as "living waters." Ablutions, or
ritual washing, are enjoined on Jews and Muslims before they pray, and Hindus
and Buddhists use water as a symbol of spiritual purification.
Join with CWS as we affirm water as a gift of God - a basic human right that
should be available to all.
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