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- Start of the ride …
With the success of Water Centric’s first ever bike-a-thon last year, enthusiasm was high among the organizers and participants. The bike-a-thon 2011 did more than live up to the expectations!
On a beautiful Saturday morning on July 30, just under 100 enthusiastic participants arrived at the Great Brook Farm in Carlisle, MA geared up to ride, walk or volunteer for Water Centric. The scenic 54 mile “Apple Pi” route, was not for the faint of heart, as it wound its way up and down through the towns of Carlisle, Concord, Littleton and Harvard, MA. The shorter 18 mile ride was closer to the venue and a walk along the beautiful park trails was yet another option.
After a light breakfast of fruit, donuts and munchkins provided by Dunkin Donuts and coffee from Starbucks, the bicyclists headed out on their ride. Rest-
- Registration and Breakfast
stops had been arranged for them to freshen up, stretch and fuel up with water and fruits, some of which was donated by Verrill Farms. The Carlson Orchards in Harvard, MA, one of the designated rest stops, was a gem of a spot with several trees, picnic tables and a cool breeze thoroughly enjoyed by the bicyclists and volunteers alike.
- And then they’re off…
All bicyclists and walkers accomplished their respective challenges and arrived in high spirits at the barn of Great Brook Farm where a barbecue cookout awaited them. Pulled pork and pulled chicken from Redbones, salads from Bertucci’s and veggie burgers were just some of the items on the lunch menu. A raffle of items from ATA cycles, Bikeway Source , Belmont Wheelworks and Dunkin Donuts added to the day’s fun and activities. During lunch, the event further spread awareness about the lack of clean water and sanitation in the developing world by projecting a video about Water Centric’s activities addressing the situation.
- Some of our smiling volunteers
We are grateful to all of you for your participation in supporting this important cause and we hope that you will continue to support us in our endeavors. We look forward to seeing you at our next annual Bike-a-thon!
Water Centric is coming close to completing work in its initial ten schools, steadily delivering water, sanitation, and hygiene education to more and more school children in need. To take a look at our latest accomplishments…
We at Water Centric are always looking for compelling ways to inform our audience about the impending sanitation crisis, with 2.6 billion people lacking toilet facilities, in order to get them engaged and ready to take action! May we recommend a great read for the summer …
Rose George’s book, “The Big Necessity,” does a great job of describing the global sanitation crisis. We highly recommend it and think you will not soon forget her first hand account. Ms. George wrote an article on this subject for The Washington Post and here is a brief excerpt:
“The Planet is soiled with sewage, on land and sea. Our waste is the biggest marine pollutant there is, according to the United Nations Environment Program. In the developing world, ninety percent of sewage is discharged untreated into oceans and rivers, where its high nutrient content can suffocate the life out of seas, contributing to dead zones (405 worldwide and counting).”
“There are dead zones on land, too. Human waste contaminates environments all over the world, rich and poor. Imagine getting up at 4 a.m. in darkness, trekking to a nearby bush or field, and going to the bathroom out in the open. Imagine then being hit by a farmer who doesn’t like you toileting in his field, or being raped by someone taking advantage of the dark, which you need to preserve your modesty. The quarter of the world’s population without access to sanitation – not even a bucket nor a box – don’t have to imagine this. It’s their daily reality.”
To read this complete article, please click:
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/needtoknow/2009/04/the_politics_of_toilets.html
We have been making steady progress at Water Centric with just over 2 years under our belt! Here is a look at what we have accomplished in the past few months…
One of the things I most like to do at Water Centric, is inform and engage the next generation on global problems and challenges related to getting a staggering 2.6 Billion people access to sanitation and 1.2 Billion access to clean water.
This spring, I had the pleasure of visiting four great New England universities: Boston University, Tufts, Brown, and Brandeis to talk to students about this issue and tell them about what we are doing here at Water Centric. I was invited to be a guest lecturer for students focused on a range of interests from Non-Profit Management (at BU), to International Conflict and Coexistence (at Brandeis), the Economics of Urbanization (at Tufts) and a discussion on Careers in the Common Good (at Brown).
One thing I’ve learned for sure: if the critical challenge of delivering clean water and sanitation to the world’s most impoverished people is ever going to be solved, we will need the energy, enthusiasm, can-do attitude and smarts of this current generation of students.
This week , one newspaper article put the challenge this way:
“In 1950, fewer than 30 percent of the world’s 2.5 billion inhabitants lived in urban regions. By 2050, almost 70 percent of the world’s estimated 10 billion inhabitants – or more than the number of people living today – will be part of massive urban networks. … As these megacities evolve in the developing world, many groan under the weight of a sudden, massive, and unprecedented demand for services never seen in the West. The basic necessities of clean water [and] sanitation systems to remove megatons of garbage and human waste…are creating one of the greatest logistical challenges ever seen in human history.” The Christian Science Monitor, May 10, 2010
We, at Water Centric, look forward to young people rolling up their sleeves to tackle the problems the world has been struggling with for decades. I am convinced that they may also be our best hope for success!
Lotika
Lotika Shaunik Paintal
Founder and Executive Director
Water Centric, Inc.
Here is a perspective from Raj Melville, a Water Centric Board member.
Saturday morning, as Boston area residents greeted a gorgeous spring day, a pipe that delivers water to over 2 million Bostonians, ruptured. Hundreds of millions of gallons of water gushed out at a rate of 8 million gallons per hour. The Governor declared a state of emergency and imposed a blanket order for homeowners and businesses to boil the water now flowing from their taps.
What followed was two days that most Bostonians could never have imagined. There was a run on bottled water at stores, reports of scuffles, and rumors of price gouging as millions of people had to struggle to find clean water for the first time in their lives.
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority tapped into a backup reservoir water system, but that was unfiltered and described as “untreated pond water.”“Don’t drink the water unless you boil it first,” said authorities.”You may use it for bathing but be sure not to swallow any.” Some residents walked miles carting water bottles. People were concerned they would not get their regular caffeine fix, while others said “I can’t even shower. I don’t want to get any nasty water on me.’’
In the space of 48 hours Boston residents instantly got a first hand lesson on how over 1 billion people -nearly a sixth of the world’s population- live without access to clean water. While residents still had running water coming out of their taps that they could boil, millions around the world still have to walk that mile or more daily, carrying gallons of water on their head. While city residents were fretting about how many minutes to boil water to kill the bacteria, they did not have to deal with the putrid, brown fluid that passes for useable ‘potable’ water in most of the developing world.
Water Centric has been working hard to bring clean water and sanitation solutions to the millions of people who do not have that luxury around the world. Little did we imagine that our very own office in Lexington, Massachusetts would be impacted by a loss of clean water! Today as residents of Boston celebrate their repaired water system and a fresh glass of water, we hope their thoughts turn to the millions who go through this day after day around the world and reach out and do something to help. A six dollar donation ensures water, sanitation and hygiene education to a kid in a school in India. A complete set of services to a typical school of 1000 students costs just $6000. Every little bit helps!
Brand New Water Station
Over 1000 little girls now have a brand new water station at the Jasola Village Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) school in Delhi, India. The water station replaces a decades’ old station made of cement. It had only three faucets and no sink to stop the running water from splashing on the children, leaving puddles where mosquitoes breed.
The new station triples the number of water faucets, provides a sink shelf to catch the running water so that it doesn’t fall on the childrens’ clothes and shoes, and is lined with beautiful tile which dries more quickly and stays cleaner than cement.
The water station is used daily by the children for drinking water, to wash their hands, and clean their lunch dishes and cups.
Construction began on February 4, 2010, and was completed on February 26. Congratulations to our local partner Sakshi and to all the young users at the school!
Old, Dirty Water Station
Diwali, also known as “Festival of Lights,” is a time of celebration and thanksgiving in India, for victory of good over evil. This year, in honor of Diwali, on November 5 2010, Water Centric is hosting a six-month Twitter Diwali campaign – “Twiwali” - so that people can express their gratitude for the essentials of clean water and sanitation - while helping others to have the same - by making a simple donation and creating awareness through social sites like Twitter. What follows is one Water Centric volunteer’s account of why he is grateful for toilets. We encourage you to submit your stories on why you are grateful for toilets to our blog as well
A surreal bathroom experience!
By Bhaskar Koukuntla
On a cold November evening, my wife and I decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary by having dinner with a few of our family friends at the Mantra restaurant in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Mantra is very close to our respective work places and is conveniently nestled on a side street between the Theatre district and Downtown Crossing. We had heard a lot about this place as the only restaurant in Boston serving Indo-French cuisine, and that it is located in a building that was previously a bank constructed in the 1800’s. Their décor is unique and in fact their bar is a former “Teller’s cage.” Details of the décor include marble walls and floors, silk drapery, and exotic mirrors with beautiful lighting.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, I paid a visit to the Men’s Room. It was stunningly beautiful with elegant mirrors, very clean and exotic sinks, and elegant glass stalls. The doors to the individual stalls were made of what looked like translucent glass and looked beautiful. Once I stepped in, I was shocked that I could see the outside! My friend was at the sink washing his hands and he suddenly turned around, looked towards my stall and pointed his finger towards me and started laughing. I was shocked!!! I felt embarrassed and wondered how the restaurant could have not thought about this. I suddenly felt very vulnerable and awkward for such lack of privacy.
When I emerged, pretending that I had not noticed anything, my friend explained that you cannot look in from the outside, however the user can see out from inside the stall. This was trick décor with no compromise to privacy at all!! But just the illusion that my privacy was compromised had made me sick to my stomach.
Putting this surreal bathroom experience in perspective, millions of underprivileged families and kids around the world do not have access to the most basic sanitation facilities. They sit outdoors every day exposed to prying eyes and the elements! Water Centric is currently working towards constructing functional toilets for a school for 1433 girls in India. With a small contribution from all of us who are privileged and take such necessities for granted, we can make a change in the lives of all these kids! So this Diwali, spread some light by making a contribution at www.watercentric.org/Twiwali.html
Come join in the conversation, get involved, and this Diwali help us to bring about change that really matters in the lives of 1433 school-children.
Visit Water Centric’s Twiwali Campaign
Today’s blog post is a perspective from one of our volunteers working on launching the Water Centric’s Diwali/Twiwali campaign. We encourage you to support the campaign and also consider submitting your stories and experiences related to the lack of clean water and/or functional toilets to our blog.
By Saurabh Saksena
It was a sunny afternoon in Yichang, China when we International Leadership Laureate Scholars ate a traditional Chinese meal that soon had an effect on our stomachs. As the bus started its journey through the rich, green scenery of Yichang, a few of us felt the urge to use the rest room. After consulting with the tour guide and the bus driver, we were told that the next rest room was a half hour away.
Just then, an American girl shouted, “It is urgent!” The bus stopped, people rushed to the green pastures, and relieved themselves. Luckily people had toilet rolls and drinking water. That was my first tryst without a functional toilet. Embarrassing! And as a boy, I thought, what about the girls?
How many of us have ever been thankful that we can actually access functional toilets when we need to? It is funny that something which is a necessity in the western world is still a privilege in the eastern world. While toilets are still a luxury in many parts of rural India, even more unsettling is the fact that 17% of city residents in India, or nearly 55 million people, do not have functional toilets. Fewer than 10% of Indian cities have a proper sewage system. And most of us are also found wanting in the hygiene education department.
Friends, it is all linked: lack of functional toilets, proper sewage system, and hygiene. And we cannot blame the government for anything and everything. We have to shoulder some responsibility.
How many of us in the developing world allow our maids and servants to use our toilets if they have an urgent need? The common answer is: “They will leave it dirty.” OK. So is it that difficult to teach them some basic hygiene?
Think a moment about those poor school kids who are seen sitting under the open sky to attend to nature’s call. Surprised? Go to an area near a municipal school locality in Delhi and chances are you will see a similar story. When I saw that, my first reaction was: can’t these school kids use the toilets in schools? It turns out that many of these municipal schools do not have functional toilets.
Kids have to use the school’s backyard if need be or hold it till they reach home. And girls not only have to face the agony and indignity of leering men, they also have to take time off from school during their menstrual cycles.
Fortunately, we have people and organizations who are addressing the issue of sanitation in India. And luckily I, through my Harvard program, have found one such organization – Water Centric - that is helping to bring functional toilets, clean drinking water facilities, and hygiene education to a number of municipal schools in Delhi with a vision of expanding similar efforts in other parts of the country as well.
Recently, Water Centric has selected a municipal school in the Sri Niwas Puri area to help 1433 school girls by renovating and building functional toilets and water stations in their school plus training the teachers and kids to participate in maintaining these new facilities via active student-run hygiene education clubs.
I, with a few other Harvard colleagues, have joined this noble cause. We have launched a campaign Twiwali to raise funds for this school by Diwali this year. I urge you all to visit the campaign link and help us. It is not only about donating dollars, though that will most certainly help (Water Centric is a registered non-profit in US)! For my friends living in India, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, join our newsletter email list, and most importantly spread awareness of this cause by word of mouth.
Diwali is still six months away but we all know time flies and we may miss the opportunity to bring change in these girls’ lives. So act now.
This Diwali let us all spread some light and give the gift of health, and a little privacy, to these 1433 girls. Let us show them that we care!
Vande Mataram.
Greetings! We just finished working on an introductory video that will tell you a little more about our 10 school initiative in Delhi. Let us know your thoughts.
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