By Ava Hartman
Felisca, a six-year-old girl in Madagascar, watches her mom travel for hours on foot to a nearby well to bring water home to her family. Her mom arrives home at the end of the day with a gallon of water for the family to share. As this water is poured into a cup for drinking, the water is visibly discoloured with particles floating on the surface.
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In the spirit of the sharing of unique experiences that shape the plumbing industries in our respective nations, the following article looks at whether gender friendly restrooms are becoming more common at construction jobsites. Written by IAPMO staff writer Mike Flenniken, it is the next in a regular series of similar articles that will run in this magazine.
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Felisca proceeds to drink the whole cup, knowing this might be the only water she will drink all day. However, this dirty water is the sole reason for the downfall of Felisca’s health.
Water is a fundamental human right. It is the source of life for all living things. However, this basic human right is not easily attainable for more than one-third of the world (World Health Organization). In many parts of the world, water, specifically clean water, is scarce. Without access to clean drinking water, detrimental health effects can occur. Through my experiences abroad, I have developed a passion to help address the inaccessibility of clean drinking water around the world.
I first discovered the detrimental issue of the lack of access to clean drinking water and sanitation while volunteering in Madagascar on an Operation Smile surgical programme. I spent two weeks there, and they were undoubtedly the best two weeks of my life. I fell in love with the kindness and passion of the volunteer team, the high and happy spirits that filled the hospital and patient village, the explosive smiles of the parents after watching their baby’s smile transform, and most importantly, the love, openness and fun spirit of every patient. These kids had a spirit that felt like I had known them my entire life. They lined the entrance to the patient village waiting for our arrival and never left our sides for the entire day.
While playing with these kids, I noticed many of them were extremely malnourished and looked much younger than their chronological age. After performing research on the causes of stunted growth in children under the age of five, I found the main cause to be a general lack of sanitation and lack of access to clean drinking water. Driving around the island of Madagascar, I started to notice young kids filling water jugs with water from ponds covered in trash with visible discoloration. I noticed mothers walking barefoot carrying large jugs of water on their shoulders. And once again, I noticed small, malnourished children sitting on the streets. However, these dirty water sources and hour-long walks to get water were a regular occurrence for them. These kids do not know that the water they are drinking is the main reason for their constant stomach viruses, malnutrition and physical stunting. They are completely unaware that this should not be their norm.
The final moment that fuelled my passion and motivated me to address the lack of sanitation and clean water was when I looked across the street from our hotel on one of the first days of our trip. My eye was pulled to a man on the street who looked like he was kissing the ground. After looking a little closer, I noticed that this man was putting his mouth into a crack in the road to drink water that was contaminated with raw sewage. This image was shocking. Have I ever been so thirsty that I would resort to drinking sewer water on the streets?
No human should ever have to face this hardship. Water is a fundamental human right and should be available to all human beings, regardless of where they live. On my flight home from Madagascar, I knew I needed to address this issue.
I began to research the causes of dirty water. Immediately I discovered that one of the main causes of water pollution in these underprivileged areas was open defecation, inadequate access to functioning sanitation systems, faulty storage of solid waste and improper wastewater disposal (USAID). Consequently, faecal contamination of groundwater results in the widespread infestation of cholera and other pathogens. Therefore, it can be concluded that the contaminated water and sanitation crises in these areas work hand-in-hand.
I decided I needed to take action. I feel like even the smallest amount of help can make a huge difference in the lives of people struggling in these communities. My senior research paper was already bringing light to the ramifications around the lack of access to clean drinking water, but how could I use this to create some positive change?
In March 2024, I held a mother-daughter-grandmother art auction event to raise funds for Waves4Water water filtration systems, and with generous donations exceeding USD4 300, I will be bringing 120 water filters to our surgical programme in September in Madagascar, where I will be living for 10 weeks.
These water filters will provide every family we take care of with access to clean water. With education and village visits for follow-up, I will empower these families by the notion that if kept clean and cared for, each filter can provide upwards of 100 people access to clean water for five years. If I do my job, 12 000 Malagasy citizens may have a life of better health and a better perspective on their power to change the ecosystem in their communities.
The discrepancy between developed countries such as the US and underdeveloped countries such as Madagascar is astonishing. We citizens of the US constantly wastewater without a second thought as to how fortunate we really are.
On the other hand, the other 33% of the world struggles to find a single glass of clean water for their families and struggle daily with this problem (World Health Organization). Water and sanitation are inalienable human rights because no human being can live without them. Access to clean water and sanitation prevents illnesses, improves health, and ultimately, saves lives.
