The only thing that isn’t in my shopping rations that I am allowed is water. Cool, clear, sanitised water.
It has been something of a saving grace for me, as between my small meals I have been glugging pints of ice cold H2O.
The reason I allowed myself to have as much water as I wanted is because, in my mind, it is readily available at no extra, direct cost to me. It is also vitally important for the high functioning of your organs.
In my eyes, and I’m guessing in yours too, water is very much a commodity. Something that is just there.
When you turn your tap on, water comes out. If water doesn’t come out, then it is not the norm and you’d be surprised.
I consider myself lucky that I view clean and hygienic water as something that just ‘is’.
How do you feel if there isn’t any water coming out of your taps?
The flip side to our reality is that in developing countries clean and hygienic water isn’t such an everyday right. Water is sometimes available. It won’t be clean. It’ll, more than likely, be infested with germs and disease.
Every day 2000 children die from diarrhoea caused by dirty water.
There are 4 MILLION deaths every year as a result of water-related diseases and poor sanitation.
Worldwide, almost 1 billion people lack access to safe water and sanitation.
My week of ‘poverty’ is only 2 days old, yet I am struggling to cope on the small rations of food that I’m eating. I can’t imagine how much worse it’d be if I didn’t have access to clean water.
How would you feel if the only drink you have available could just as easily kill you as it could hydrate you?
It is not fair that there are people in this world who don’t have access to safe, clean and hygienic water. Coupled with the abject poverty and poor living conditions that these people have to live in and it is with my utmost respect to Oxfam for doing all they can to make positive changes in this world.
A small donation from all of us, in support of this challenge, or the next Oxjam event, or any of the other madcap fundraisers we may come up with, will help Oxfam make a substantial difference to the lives of many people in this world.
At the very least, every person on this earth should have access to clean water that won’t kill them!
Thank you for your time. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Peace, love and compassion.
Deano
You can sponsor me at https://oxjam.everydayhero.com/uk/deano-below-the-line or post some beautiful words of encouragement to Oxjam Didcot’s Facebook, the Facebook page or find us on Twitter @MorrisHawk and @OxjamDidcot
Oxjam Didcot Takeover 2014 