It’s quite the scene—hundreds of people walking together with containers in hand—but for the 800 million people without access to clean water, daily life isn’t a walk in the park. The reality is a life where it’s common to travel miles to gather unclean, unsafe water for drinking. And that’s why we walk—to raise both funds and awareness for those in Rwanda who lack access to clean water.

One group we met that day was a team named H2GO. With creativity and team spirit on display, members carried signs with “H2GO” on one side, and pictures of two families unable to attend on the other. They even texted pictures to these families to make them feel part of the experience. View the photos here. Together, team H2GO raised $950 for clean water!

Between the t-shirts purchased and the funds raised, the walk collected over $60,000 for clean water in Rwanda—an amount that will no doubt have a sizable impact in the sectors we serve.

Anyone can talk the talk. Will you walk the walk? Learn how to host a Walk for Water in your own community.

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20 Liters was invited to the event as a source for information and knowledge of water-related issues. Among a bevy of innovators, visionaries, speakers, and students, two 20 Liters representatives, Bob and Macky Johnson, were able to share our story and tell of the progress being made in Rwanda. They were also invited to demonstrate the SAM 3 filter—which is, in its own right, a feat of engineering—and explain its ease of installation, effectiveness in bacteria removal, and cost efficiency.

During the week, the event highlighted many powerful stories. We learned of two young girls who turned a love for origami into a funding initiative for wells, an explorer who used an 18-meter catamaran made of plastic bottles to travel and draw attention to world environmental issues, and a woman who embarked on a trip across the Atlantic to raise funds for clean water projects. These stories, along with the participation of students, contributed to the event’s goal of creating a “ripple effect” capable of inspiring action.

When it comes to the world water crisis, there’s much work to be done. But it was encouraging to see these “ripples” of progress being made all around the country.

You don’t have to cross an ocean or create a business to continue the ripple effect. Start by taking The Water Challenge or simply display a 20-liter jerry can.

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Written In Water—Great essays from thought leaders and activists in the field of water solutions and innovations.

Bottlemania—Elizabeth Royte examines the people, machines, economies, and cultural trends that surround bottled water and its journey from distant aquifers to our supermarkets and homes.

Water World—This book is designed to introduce young children to the importance of being green. Eco-friendly practices are explained in easy to understand language and supported by age-appropriate science concepts.

Water, Water Everywhere: Celebrating Earth’s most precious resource, this handsome volume introduces not only the many forms and almost-magical properties of water, but also the vital role that water plays in the life of our planet.

The post Looking For Ways To Learn More About Water Issues? appeared first on 20 Liters.

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Est ei consul eruditi dignissim, vis in paulo scribentur. Primis accusamus te eam, mei ut sanctus accusam cotidieque.

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For years, Aloys has been involved with 20 Liters as a volunteer, and his hard work and passion led to his promotion. His new role will comprise many duties, including community relations, recruitment of volunteers, assisting with the selection of filter recipients, and project follow-up. This is no small task, as 2,400 filters are planned to be installed over the next few months.

Aloys will also be reporting to us periodically with news, stories, stats, and lessons learned—right from the heart of Masaka and Gahanga. See his progress report below.

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After brainstorming fundraising ideas for 20 Liters, Tabitha’s junior high girls agreed on a cookie jar sale. For each jar sold, half would go to 20 Liters, with the other half allocated to cover project costs. Knowing this, $200 (the profit from 40 jars) would be a great success.

With a little over a month to take orders, the girls got right to work, selling to friends, family, and neighbors. Within the first week of sales, one of the girls had sold 13 jars. Before long, the group sales totaled 90. Then, on the night the girls were scheduled to assemble the jars, they discovered the number was actually 125.

After many hours, and a few trips for extra supplies, the team of 12 (eight girls and four adults) managed to fill every order. When all was said and done, the girls raised $625 for 20 Liters.

Although the night was filled with hard work and chaos, Tabitha’s husband overheard one of the girls say, “This is the best RELA night (relationship night) we’ve ever had!”

Thank you Miranda, Grace, Claire, Emma, Alexis, Tea, Alayna, Val, Moriah, Lexi, Chloe, Kennedy, Tara and Tabitha, for a job well done.

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On March 19, about 200 participants gathered in Masaka for the third annual event hosted by World Relief Rwanda. Those in attendance ranged from WRR staff, to local leaders, beneficiaries, and pastors. Together, they walked 40 minutes to a nearby swamp, gathered water in various containers, and traveled back to the starting point Rwandan style—singing and dancing along the way.

The celebration didn’t stop once they returned, though. The rest of the day was filled with various activities, including speeches, skits, filter demonstrations and installations, and a good many testimonials.

In a time of sharing, many expressed their gratitude toward World Relief, 20 Liters, and Water Project volunteers for the work being done. One local leader shared about the impact clean water had made on his family’s health. His children, who were once constantly ill from using unfiltered rain and river water, no longer suffered once receiving a filter. Two other beneficiaries shared about life before and after their filter, expressing how they now could cook and wash without the worry of becoming sick.

Spirits were high as many more stories were told, all sharing one thing in common—the personal impact of clean water.

This report comes to us from Aloys Nsabimana, our Rwanda Program Manager. Read more about Aloys and his progress report.

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