I write this blog from Liberia, Africa...my latest adventure for giving clean drinking water. How did a guy like me get to Liberia, Africa on a clean drinking water mission? Well it all started in Fiji.
In August of 2008, Give Clean Water was born with a goal of providing a sustainable clean drinking water solution for everyone who needs it. Our focus was on the country of Fiji. With around 110 inhabited islands and a total population of approximately 900,000 people, Fiji is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Fiji Water is also manufactured on the big island of Viti Levu. So why in the world would we choose Fiji?!
Well it turned out, Fiji is just like almost every other country in the world. There are a great number of people who live in rural areas. Approximately 50% of Fijians live in remote rural areas where infrastructure logistics are quite a challenge. Imagine driving for hours into a mountain area in a 4 wheel drive vehicle, and then getting out to hike for 45 minutes to a remote village located in a valley below, nearby a running river. It's there where you will find one of Fiji's greatest treasures...its beautiful people! But living in remote villages can be challenging when it comes to a clean drinking water source.
Just up from the same river where villagers gather water, animals deposit their feces into this same water source, creating many health problems, just like those common to so many rural villagers around the world.
The Fijian government is making great strides in enhancing their country infrastructure and remain committed to providing solutions for the great people of Fiji. The Ministry of Health is also very involved in improving the health of the Fijian people. Creative solutions are being employed to address the current need for a whole country to drink clean water. Give Clean Water has become part of the rural village strategy.
Give Clean Water has served under the guidance of the Fiji Ministry of Health since our beginning, offering a simple sustainable solution of clean drinking water that fits into the overall strategy of the Ministry of Health's programs of wellness. Simple gravity fed water filters have been deployed across the country to provide a low-tech method of water purification. Each filter removes 99.99% of all bacteria from any water source, and has a flow rate of over 300 gallons of water per day! The filter simply needs to be back flushed to ensure years of clean drinking water!
Imagine entire countries where everyone will drink clean, bacteria free water! Imagine the whole world with this solution? That's where a great team of partner organizations are headed with a multifaceted approach that provides an overall solution to the clean drinking water problem!
I know what you are thinking..."how can I get involved in this great project?"
Stay tuned!
