We should never forget how fortunate we are to enjoy nearly unlimited access to clean drinking water here in Philadelphia. Millions around the world – 884 million people – do not have the same luxury. Each year 3.6 million people die from water related disease, which is more than twice the size of Philadelphia.
Some local folks decided to focus on this problem, and there’s a good chance you’ll find them in the Philadelphia Global Water Initiative (PGWI) network. Our region is filled with resources, experts, and ideas that can apply the same water access models to even the most remote, impoverished villages around the globe. PGWI brings these experts together: Philly water utility leaders, university experts, NGOs, and concerned citizens.
My Philly-based non-profit, Water for Waslala, just recently became a PGWI collaborator as well. If you also have an interest in water as a basic human right, it’s easy to get involved.
PGWI is looking for volunteers to help grow their organization in order to make a broader and more effective impact on water projects both locally in Philly and worldwide. Being a PGWI volunteer grants access to an established network of water innovators to help solve the critical water problem in villages around the world.
Here are a handful of local organizations that participated at this year’s PGWI conference:
There are many more organizations in the PGWI network doing great work locally and around the world. For more information, email info@pgwi.org or check the PGWI’s Contact Us Page to learn ways you can provide water and ultimately improve lives, right here in Philly.
Photos from Water for Waslala – Check out the full (beautiful) gallery!
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