Follow the liters
Organized by: Amanda Marie
When those of us in the developed world think of a global threat, we usually imagine some shadowy terrorist organization or insurgency in politically unstable areas. We generally don't give the sparkling glass of water next to us the side eye. But, dirty water is killing more people than war -- or violence in general. And keep in mind that for many people simply getting water is a struggle While water is a big deal for all of us, it’s safe to say it’s an even bigger deal to the 750 million people around the world who don’t have access to safe water. That’s 2 and a half times the US population. Let me say that again, 2 and a half times the US population cannot access clean and safe water! An estimated 801,000 children younger than 5 years of age perish from diarrhea each year, mostly in developing countries. This amounts to 11% of the 7.6 million deaths of children under the age of five and means that about 2,200 children are dying every day as a result of diarrheal diseases. Unsafe drinking water, inadequate availability of water for hygiene, and lack of access to sanitation together contribute to about 88% of deaths from diarrheal diseases. And although many portable water filter tanks are present in these countries. More and more people do not have access to them. Simply this is not solving the problem. These water tanks can be anywhere from 3 to 10 to even 20 miles away from villages. Imagine a person starving, dehydrated, and making a 20 mile walk...just for water. This is why we are introducing a solution to this epedimic called Lifestraw. The straw-style filter design lets you turn up to 1,000 liters of contaminated water into safe drinking water. The straw filters the water as it progresses upward to the point of the mouth resulting in purified water. Each life straw is less than many spend on starbucks twice a day. 1,000 liters is equal to 264 gallons (US). One life straw can keep 2 or more people hydrated with purified and safe water for almost a whole year. In this time of desperation, turmoil, and confusion. We can help. We CAN save lives. It is not an impossible task. What we are asking is for you to give up your soda, your starbucks, or one comfortable comodity you enjoy to help those less fortunate, those that are honestly going to die if not for clean water. All of the shipping to these third world countries is taken care of. All we need are life straws. Can you help?