Waves For Water
Fritz, a W4W Haitian partner, in a demonstration in Port au Prince over the holidays.
It's been one year since the devastating earthquake struck Haiti. One of the few organizations still working on the ground level is Waves For Water. Waves For Water was started by pro-surfer Jon Rose with the mission of bringing filtration systems and training local community leaders to help their networks get clean water. Working with the UN, corporate sponsor Hurley (& its owner Nike) and local non-profits, the group are bringing water filters, along with other simple accessible tools, to areas in need of clean water.
Jon Rose in a demo in Cap Hatien.
Among several ongoing projects launched since its creation in 2009, Waves For Water has a Clean Water Couriers program that encourages surfers in search of waves in third world countries to pack filters with them and to connect with local NGO's for distribution. The program's targeted to surfers, but it's open to all travelers going to any region lacking clean water, emphasizing the simplicity of the system and the minimal effort needed for travelers to bring filters that can provide thousands with clean water. All they need is filters (can be purchased from W4W), paint buckets, a knife to make a hole, and spigots.
We've been hearing a lot about water these days, from the Plastic Is Forever installation at the Arts For A Better World exhibit to our very own intern Annie traveling to Ghana to help build a water filtration system bringing clean water to a local village! For more info on the effects of the lack of clean water, we like the Stuff You Should Know podcast on Lifestraw (another type of water filtration system). For more information on Waves For Water or to donate, take a look at their site and keep up with their efforts on the blog!
--- Viv
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