Photo credit Charity: Water
I’m INVITING YOU TO JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING SAFE WATER
Today, March 22, is World Water Day AND March is Women’s History Month, so it’s a good time to honor and support both.
Millions of people—women and girls especially—walk miles every day to access this basic necessity. Here’s a question for you. The last time you wanted a drink of water, how long did it take you to get it? Whether it was turning on a tap or grabbing bottled water, how long did it take? And when you made your tea or brushed your teeth?
“Worldwide, women and girls spend an estimated 200 million hours — daily — collecting water.” UNICEF
Many women and children, mostly girls, trudge 8 hours every day to collect water How can you go to school, earn money, prepare meals or take care of children if eight of your waking hours are spent walking to get water. And then what if the water you do get is contaminated at the source or in that enormous jerry can you’ve carried on your head or on your back. I’m trying to imagine it but can’t.
Decisions to make. Because water is foundational.
Because safe water is foundational to health, education—even survival—I have chosen water as my cause to support with my speaking engagements and with sales of Vaccines & Bayonets: Fighting Smallpox in Africa amid Tribalism, Terror and the Cold War, my historical memoir. I do that through a nonprofit called Charity: Water. Would you like to join me? You automatically help a small amount when you purchase my book.
But you may also wish to contribute directly to this nonprofit: https://charitywater.org
You WILL make a difference.
In Other News
Besides my delightful opportunities to care for dogs and kitty-cats when I housesit, I’ve been busy with radio and podcast interviews and speaking engagements. It’s been an honor to share my story with a wide variety of audiences. I’ve spoken for VISTAS Lifelong Learning, university classes in infectious diseases and global health, civic and philanthropic organizations, and done meet-the-author events with book clubs.
You can watch and listen to my conversations with an Emmy award-winning TV producer and other hosts on the home page and the Speaking tab of my website, https://beebloeser.com.