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World Water Day 2021
Walk for Water - Wherever You Are!
This year we spent eight whole days walking to raise awareness for water and streaming it live! We had 152 people join our Facebook group to share what water means to them. Joey was our master of ceremonies and kicked off the first day of the walk and carried water while doing it! Tom, our hydrologist, shared so many interesting water facts like every day one person drinks 68oz-1gallon of water and eats 528-1,321 gallons of virtual water embedded in food (UNwater.org) and humans buy about 1,000,000 plastic bottles per minute in total. Only about 23% of plastic bottles are recycled within the U.S. (earthday.org).

We are so grateful for our faithful sponsors who make the walk for water and film events possible! 
Our hydrologist and board member Tom Osborne recently shared this heartfelt sentiment of “what water means to him” and local communities

“Most people in Africa do not take clean water for granted because it is not readily available. Now many Texans are suffering from scarcity. I'm on the water board for our little Absorakee community. It takes four wells with working pumps, large storage tanks, a telemetry system, regular laboratory testing, many miles of intact water mains, compliance with regulations, and two employees who work every day to keep water drinking flowing to our houses. Try tracing the path your water takes to your house.”
While we were out walking, we broadcasted water facts online and shared facts with our friends walking with us each day.  After doing this walk for over 10 years its safe to say we had plenty of materials to share thanks to fact cards made each year by April!  We celebrated Living Water with a prayer at the start of each walk and how grateful we are.

Water is Health, Hygiene and Sanitation; Energy: Food and Agriculture (we even talked all about fish!); Industry; Jobs; Sustainable Development; Nature... and more! 

Water is LIFE!
We even walked for water in handmade garments from our ladies in Uganda who produce these to generaste income for their families. 
Water weighs 8 pounds per gallon.  These folks are carrying 5 gallons of water in each jug. Wow!  It is estimated Africans (and other third world countries) need 3-4 gallons of water a day for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing... just to survive! They often spend all day walking for water and this impacts their ability to work and go to school. Much of the water collecting is up to the women and children.  How much water do you think the average American uses each day?
Many thanks to all of our volunteers who came out to walk and learn with us!  Even though it was chilly and windy we enjoyed the Shiloh Conservation Area immensely!  
As part of our virtual walk for water, we asked people to share a photo of them with water and tell us what water means to them.

Susan shared this with us: 

"What water means to me: I drink many glasses of water every day. Sometimes I add a little juice to it to give a little flavor, but I can’t count the number of glasses I drink each day. Water is life. Water keeps plants green and allows flowers to bloom. Let’s all be grateful for water on World Water Day!"
These ladies participated all the way from California sharing,

"Water is precious, afterall our bodies are made up of 55 to 75% water. Sometimes we take it for granted and this virtual walk helps remind us of how fortunate we are to have it so readily while others around the world yearn for it. We are blessed and will pray for those who need it desperately."
We even had replies from our friends all the way in Uganda!
Christine shared what water means to her,

"I use water for drinking, washing and cooking.  Appoyo Matek (thank you so very much)!"
Bill shared with is a photo and this is “what water means to him"

“I collect rain water and use it to hand water plants. It saves water from the sky and it’s free!"
What Clean Water Means to Me - by Tom Osborne

I learned this past year that clean water means giving up an addiction I’ve had to, of all things, a kind of ski wax. Let me explain.

As a professional hydrologist whose life’s work included overseeing cleanup of many kinds of environmental contamination I’m aware that many chemicals we routinely use can adversely impact water quality. It’s part of the reason I prefer non-motorized sports such as cycling and cross-country skiing believing it better for my health and the environment. But being keen for speed on my skis led me years ago to rely on fluorinated ski wax for racing. Then last year a hydrogeologist friend brought up the question whether the fluorinated ski waxes are a source of water contamination. I began looking into it.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprise a large family of industrial chemicals in widespread use in a range of products and applications. Due to their chemical properties, strong hydrophobicity, and stability PFAS highly repel water, grease, and stains leading to wide use in products like outdoor clothing, food packaging, fluoropolymer coatings (like Teflon), fire-fighting foams and, yes, ski waxes. PFAS are characterized as persistent in the environment and human body, meaning they do not break down and accumulate over time. Although still being studied, evidence suggests PFAS exposure can lead to adverse human health effects.

Looking further, I found articles describing how PFAS have also been found to contaminate soil and groundwater near where skiers train. For example, a well at the site where the U.S. Biathlon Association, and the University of Vermont Nordic team train was found to have PFAS contamination. The well has PFAS levels above the state’s standards for safe drinking water.
The problem is beginning to be addressed. This recent winter season has seen bans imposed on fluorinated ski waxes by professional ski associations, college competitions and in junior sports. Better alternative waxes are in development. We want our waters free of these contaminants. Check your closets and cabinets for PFAS-containing articles and work to switch to alternatives.
- by Tom Osborne
Denis Odong from Uganda says,

“When I see these two brothers laughing, I feel very happy. as we celebrate world water day, water means joy and happiness to me, life free from water borne diseases and good clean water makes life good”
Baylie from Michigan shared:

"Today I walked for water for Hope 2 One Life’s virtual event. To me water means life. Water is a human right and a resource that needs to be protected. Water is something that we all rely on but we don’t all treat it equally nor do we all have equal access. However Hope 2 One Life has worked to bridge this gap for many Ugandan villages. Please participate in world water day and consider supporting this organization financially so they can continue to provide this vital resource to more Ugandan villages in need.

What does water mean to you?"
Donate Here!
Mariel from California shares:

"To me, water means HOPE. It means communities living without the crippling burden of preventable water-borne diseases. It means women and children saving the hours they would have spent walking long distances for (possibly contaminated) water.

I took this photo of a borehole that Hope 2 One Life funded in Uganda. We are grateful for any and everything that you can give to help fund more projects like this in villages that currently don't have access to clean, reliable water sources. Afoyo matek (thank you)! "
 
Christy shared:

"Life, enjoyment, replenishment, adventure. Just like are human race no one water source as you look at it is the same, gives us diversity and fulfillment at the same time.

Diane shared  - “I am grateful for clean running water in my house!”
 
From Issac
“It’s was so great of an experience because with me, it actually sent me back home. This is an experience I have had growing up and really appreciated it as a reminder for where I come from and how far I have come. I’m so blessed to live in a house that has water and sewage inbuilt. I don’t have to leave the house to find water, it’s right in there and more hygienic than what I grew up with”
As the intern for Hope 2 One Life, I have been working on this event for the past several months. It was a first for me in many aspects. The first event I've ever planned, my first live stream and my first Walk for Water. The more I have learned from Nadine about the water crisis in Uganda, the more excited I became about this event. It was such an exciting week of fact sharing, meeting our supporters, and connecting to the plight of our friends in without water. By the end of day 8, I was glad I was only carrying a phone on a stick as opposed to the gentlemen in our group carrying 40-80lbs of water. It was an honor to be able to help Hope 2 One Life spread their message not only with our community but far beyond. Thank you all for reading and thank you Nadine for the wonderful experience!
-Nikki Sanders 
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