Waves For Water
What if you became a "Clean Water Courier"? It is possible thanks to Jon Rose and his non-profit organization Waves For Water. Pro surfer for more than thirteen years, he travels the world in search of the best waves. His favorite spot: Sumatra. In 2009, while on a surf trip with friends, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes the town of Padang.
“ Capital of the Barat province with a population of 900.000 inhabitants, Padang looks like a bombed city. Everywhere, for miles, hundreds of buildings have collapsed like houses of cards. Shopping centers, hotels, banks, hospitals, schools, museums, mosques, churches, port ... several neighborhoods are transformed into heap of ruins. “
Arnaud Guiguitant, Le Monde
The human toll is heavy, already more than a thousand dead in the hours that follow. It turns out that Jon had brought with him ten water filters in his suitcases, without no specific aim. So he decides to help out and finally finds his raison d’être. Indeed, since the end of his professional season and the termination of his sponsored contracts, he was struggling to manage this transition period and career change. Until then his identity had been built around surfing and he was a bit lost.
His father had created a little charity called "Raincatcher" intended to teach some villagers in Africa to set up rainwater harvesting systems. Jon realized then that the problem wasn’t just only confined to Africa. Through his many travels, he was able to observe first-hand the extent of the phenomenon of water pollution and the difficulty of accessing uncontaminated water points in many countries. On September 30, 2009, the earthquake in Padang which he witnessed will forever change his outlook. Yes, it is possible to improve access conditions to clean water around the world; you just need to start with one filter. His mantra: “Do what you love and help along the way."
And since 2009 the NGO has come a long way. It works mainly on 3 aspects: providing access to clean water through a portable water filtration system, the digging and renovation of borehole wells, or else the construction of rainwater harvesting and storing systems when the groundwater is inaccessible. In addition, they also provide coordination relief efforts and assistance to victims of natural disasters. Waves For Water has thus come forward in Nepal, Bosnia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Haiti, Japan, Chile and Pakistan. In all, their teams showed up in more than 33 natural disaster sites. Recently they created a program for veterans of the army, "Clean Water Corps", to make good use of the skills and experiences of former soldiers and redeploy them as humanitarians. With more than 150.000 water filters distributed and targeted actions in 48 countries, Waves For Water has impacted the lives of approximately 3.750.000 people. Unfortunately there is still a long way to go. In fact, it is estimated today that 1.8 billion people in the world still have no other alternative than to use contaminated water points.
Yet, drinking contaminated water is synonymous of repeated illnesses and especially a much lower life expectancy. We are talking about things not funny at all, such as cholera, botulism, typhoid, dysentery, salmonella ... What if a simple filter was enough to clear out the contaminated water of all its bacteria so that it finally becomes clean and safe to drink? ? It’s crazy, but it is Jon Rose’s winning bet. Without going into too much technical detail, we can just point out that these filters use technologies inspired by those of kidney dialysis which aim to clear out the blood of waste and water (or toxins) accumulated in excess in the body in patients with impaired renal function.
A single filter is able to treat on its own several million liters of water and thus provide drinking water to 100 people for 5 years. And that's where you come in. Why not distribute them yourself? This is what Waves For Water offers you through its "Clean Water Couriers" program. A sort of humanitarian DIY. Going on vacation to a developing country? Take the opportunity to pack some filters in your suitcase and give them to a local NGO, or install them yourself in the villages you visit. All you will need is a plastic bucket, easy to find in any country, and the filtration kit provided by Waves For Water. The price of a filter is 50 Euros.
Imagine the ripple effect if hundreds of thousands of travelers each started handing out a few water filters. A "humanitarian guerrilla network" of a new kind which, while waiting for a more lasting solution, makes it possible to bypass the administrative red tape in each country, and therefore provide a concrete and immediate response, relieve populations, quite simply save lives, with always as a common thread this fundamental belief that access to clean water should be a basic human right.
Waves For Water has a French branch in the south-west of France, so you have the possibility to collect the filters directly by hand between Hossegor and Biarritz, if you live in the area, or they will be sent to you by mail. For questions about shipping costs, the presentation of your project or any other clarification, do not hesitate to contact them, they have their own website in French version Waves For Water France. For the others, the filters will be ordered through the international platform Become a Courier. Either way, once the order is placed, you will receive a very detailed instruction guide and you can communicate with their team as much as you want.
Waves For Water also allows you, via their website, to create a crowdfunding page and thus organize an online collection that you can then share on social networks with your friends and family with the aim of packing a little more filters, a nice way to share your adventure by involving them.
Once all of this is well settled, locate local NGOs or establishments (schools, health centers) to which distribute your filters so that they can be of help to a maximum of people. If you are going to install them yourself, you will absolutely need a point of contact, someone who will ideally act as both your guide and / or translator, especially if you do not speak the local language. For example, you can approach the staff working at your place of lodging, locals who, in addition to knowing the needs on site, can introduce you to their community. This will ensure that the filters are going to the right person.
Below is a small explanatory video on the installation of the kit. As you can see, it is really quick and easy, and the experience will only encroach on a minimum of your vacation time. However, if you ever feel that this is not for you, that you are not up for getting out there on your own, no worries, you can always donate and support the many ongoing programs.
One thing is for sure, the next time you will drink a glass of water it will have a special taste, the one of gratitude for being part of the privileged of this world with access to clean water.
