There are many problems in the world that are seemingly unsolvable, but access to safe, clean water does not need to be one.
Mission:
The mission is simple. People who live in underdeveloped, impoverished countries die every single day from dirty drinking water. One in six people don't have access to clean drinking water. Having access to clean drinking water is a luxury that many of us take for granted. There are millions living in communities with no access to clean water. Every day, kids bathe in and drink from the same water that animals have bathed in and into which pollutants have been disposed. In addition, there is a huge shortage of clean water available for people recovering from surgery or illness. Our mission is to bring solutions to these problems in the form of portable water filters to the communities that need them most.
The money raised will go directly to helping the communities we reach out to. There are two types of filters that can be purchased, for $25 and $50, respectively. The difference between the types of filters is, essentially, the filter life and the flow rate of each filter. The filters will be purchased from Waves 4 Water, a non-profit organization based in California that specializes in clean water filters, and organizes projects to help communities in need. To learn more about Waves 4 Water follow the link. http://www.wavesforwater.org
The Filters:
The $25 “Kin” filter will filter up to 5,200 gallons of water and last over a year. This filter is geared towards a single or two-family home.
The $50 “MVP” filter will filter up to 1,000,000 gallons of water and can last several years. This filter is geared towards villages and communities because of the high flow rate and the extended life of the filter.
These filters are the best portable filters on the market and are the most efficient way to provide water quality solutions to poor and remote villages and communities.
Maintenance:
The simplicity of the filtration system makes these filters long-lasting and dependable. The process is simple:
When the filter starts to slow down or clog, back wash it with clean water using the syringe that is provided in the kit.
Once the filter is clean, simply reattach it and continue the usage. This process can be repeated many times, making the filter's lifespan extremely long.
Filter Functions:
Why filters? Filters can do more than provide drinking water. These filters are efficient in providing safe water for multiple applications:
Cleaning
Bathing
Cooking
Watering plants
Other agricultural applications
The filters have an extremely high flow rate, eliminating the need to store the water. This reduces the chance of recontamination after the water has been stored for an extended period of time.
What the filters remove:
The filter removes the bacteria and protozoa which cause waterborne diseases:
Cholera
Botulism (Clostridium botulinum)
Typhoid (Salmonella typhil)
Amoebic Dysentery
E. coli
Coliform Bacteria
Streptococcus
Salmonella
Giardia
Cryptosporidium
Cyclospora
The filters clean the water at a 0.1 micron absolute level, making it impossible for any bacteria, protozoa to pass through the filter.
The Clean Cup Water Mission Photo Book:
The book we create will be comprised of photo documentation of our mission along with a text synopsis of our journey. It will be made after our trip, and put together in chronological order of the different locations. The book will be printed and shipped by Feburary, 2015.
Locations:
El Salvador
El Salvador is in the middle of a water crisis. 55% of people have access to potable water in the country and 80% of that water is heavily contaminated. Many residents have to spend up to 25% of their already low income on water that may already be contaminated. The clean water filters will give them more spendable income on food and other needs. The filters will also eliminate the contamination in the water.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua needs clean water. It is the poorest country in the region. The average income is set at $1.00 a day for 40% of the population. Lack of access to safe water costs Nicaragua an estimated 1,912 million cordobas ($95 million USD) a year. This figure represents 1.5% of Nicaragua's GDP.
Panama
In the target region of northwestern Panama, 80% of the indigenous residents don't have access to clean water. The water they use is full of bacteria, viruses, and metals that cause all sorts of sickness and diseases. Kids are the most vulnerable to the problem. The leading cause of death from bad water in this area is Gastroenteritis. With the clean water filters, this illness can be eliminated.
Ecuador
Many foreign organizations have entered and seized Ecuador's natural resources. Indigenous territories have been polluted and contaminated by foreign companies extracting natural resources like timber, crude and palm oil. The indigenous people have taken a toll as well. Among other issues, their water has been subjected to contamination. There is no simple solution to the problems these communities face, but the foundation of their healthy lives starts with access to safe water.
Location Significance:
The target locations are places that are underdeveloped and at a high risk of natural disasters. These filters are the most efficient way of providing clean water to these areas. The alternative, bottled water, has several problems:
Shipping bottled water has huge fixed costs
The plastic is not environmentally friendly
Bottled water is a non-replenishable water source
One community filter can give 100 people access to clean water each day, and if maintained properly, can last for years.
Process:
The process to set up the filtration systems is as simple as it gets. There is no need to dig a well to try and find a water source, no construction of sand filters (what many communities use now to try and get rid of the contamination in the water) and most importantly, no need for purification chemicals which can be worse than the original bacteria. The kits will contain:
The 0.1 micron absolute filter
The bucket adapter kit
The bucket hole cutter
The filter cleaner
The filter hanger
The adapter hose to each community.
The one thing we will need to find is a clean bucket or plastic container. The communities already have these buckets because they use them to gather water from rivers, streams, rain water etc. They do NOT have the filtration devices to make this collected water safe for drinking, bathing, cooking etc. That is what we will provide.
Goal:
The main goal is to help as many people as possible. We will contact the communities through a representative from a local non-profit or another organization doing humanitarian work in the location and set up a presentation meeting to the people who will use the filters and answer any questions they may have.
There are so many areas in the world that don't have access to clean water and this needs to change.
Clean, safe usable water is a necessity for so many things we do each day. This mission is a resource-efficient, environmentally friendly, non-profit solution to a fundamental global problem.
It is with your contributions that we can make a vital change for many communities and raise awareness about providing clean water solutions to impoverished countries around the world.
Potential Risks and Challenges:
Other than our personal safety during the trip, the risk is low. We are aiding people in need of a fundamental resource. Providing these communities with clean water will bring them joy and a higher quality of basic life.
The sky is the limit for this project. While $8,000 gets us access to the target regions with an adequate amount of filters - The more filters we can get, the more people we can help.
It is with your contributions that we can make a vital change for many communities and raise awareness about providing clean water solutions to impoverished countries around the world.
Feel free to contact us with any information or questions you may have! Our info is in our BIO's. Thanks for visiting our page and spread the word about Clean Cup Water Mission!
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