I'm copying the Be Hope to Her blurb from Facebook to explain the program:
BH2O+ is an experiential event that Nuru is bringing to educational campuses across the United States on April 23, 2009. The name BH2O+ is an acronym that stands for “Be Hope to Her.”
The purpose of BH2O+ is three-fold:
To bring awareness to the need for clean drinking water in Africa
To educate individuals on the plight of women in Africa created by the lack of accessible clean drinking water
To raise funds that will be donated to organizations that have the infrastructure and technology to provide clean drinking water to African communities, specifically through drilling wells
Less than half of the 700 million people living in Africa have safe drinking water. Drinking water contaminated with human and animal waste is a reality for most Africans and it’s killing them – 2.2 million people die each year from water-borne diseases, primarily children in developing countries.
In Africa, the burden of water collection falls on women and girls, and their daily lives revolve around it. They often have to walk long distances to reach the water sources and when sources dry up during drought seasons, they often have to wait in line for water for several hours. The long routes to the water sources present safety concerns for the girls making them vulnerable to sexual assault or even rape.The daily time commitment to fetch water keeps African girls out of school and women from income-generating work; further perpetuating the cycle of extreme poverty.
The purpose of BH2O+ is three-fold:
To bring awareness to the need for clean drinking water in Africa
To educate individuals on the plight of women in Africa created by the lack of accessible clean drinking water
To raise funds that will be donated to organizations that have the infrastructure and technology to provide clean drinking water to African communities, specifically through drilling wells
Less than half of the 700 million people living in Africa have safe drinking water. Drinking water contaminated with human and animal waste is a reality for most Africans and it’s killing them – 2.2 million people die each year from water-borne diseases, primarily children in developing countries.
In Africa, the burden of water collection falls on women and girls, and their daily lives revolve around it. They often have to walk long distances to reach the water sources and when sources dry up during drought seasons, they often have to wait in line for water for several hours. The long routes to the water sources present safety concerns for the girls making them vulnerable to sexual assault or even rape.The daily time commitment to fetch water keeps African girls out of school and women from income-generating work; further perpetuating the cycle of extreme poverty.
BH2O+ is designed to be a day of solidarity as students become advocates for those living without access to clean water in the developing world. During the event, ladies on campus will step into the daily experience of women in Africa by walking to a water source and carrying a bucket of water on their heads back to the rally point; simultaneously, guys will sweep the campus, inviting every student to embrace awareness and attend the rally following the solidarity walk.
Lauren told me about this program coming to VT on April 23rd. I donated but was unable to participate because I had class. I went to the drillfield after my class and caught the end of the walk!
The idea was to walk in the shoes of African women by carrying water on their heads. These girls walked across the drillfield with a bucket full of water on their head.
Way to go Lauren!
The walk ended at the chapel. This man did a short inspirational speech. The event made the 5:30pm news! Anything and everything Africa related catches my eye. I would have never been interested in this program before I went to Malawi.
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