Everyday, whenever we need water, we simply turn on a faucet and out comes the water that we know for a fact is clean and safe to use and drink. Unfortunately, that is not the case for a lot of people. People around the world in third world and developing countries do not have the same privileges as us, like constant, clean water whenever we need it. The clean water crisis is a sad reality and we cannot even come close to understanding what those people face each day. How would you feel if the water you drank was brown and filled with disgusting germs that could possibly lead to deadly water related diseases? Luckily, there are numerous amounts of organizations that are doing many things to help bring an end to the clean water crisis and there are many opportunities to get involved by volunteering. Through the work and time of volunteers, plenty of people have been provided with clean, safe water and their lives are forever changed. Getting involved with volunteer work could help save a life somewhere and is a great opportunity to help out.

The clean water crisis is a major issue facing our world today and a common struggle to more than 1 billion people in the world today. People in third world countries and developing parts of the world do not have access to clean, safe water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. Everyday, women and children walk many miles just to get water and the water is filthy and unclean. All the work they put in each day to have water just leads to disease and sometimes death. Water can be thought of as the foundation for all life, so without access to it, many lives are affected tremendously. One example of how people are affected  is from water related diseases. The reality of it is gruesome with more than “840,000 people” dying “each year from a water related disease” (“Millions Lack Safe Water” Water.org).  This “is more than the entire population of the city of San Francisco” (“Millions Lack Safe Water” Water.org). Also, diarrhea that is caused by dirty, contaminated water is "a leading cause of illness and death among infants and children in the developing world" ("Drinking Water Crisis" P&G CSDW). This goes to show that not having clean water is an ongoing issue that desperately needs to be dealt with.

Many great organizations are doing all they can to bring clean water to parts of the world. Some organizations build wells and even latrines and handwashing stations. For example, the Ryan's Well Foundation provides clean water sources to third world, developing countries through what they call "water projects" which are things like deep wells, shallow wells, rainwater harvesting tanks, and even protected springs. They also build hand washing stations and latrines. Last year in 2014, Ryan's well foundation constructed about 115 water projects and 75 latrines. This caused them to be able to positively impact the lives of 28,300 people last year throughout Uganda, Kenya, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Haiti. Also, there are some organizations, like Just One Africa, that use water filters instead of things like wells and provides families in third world countries and developing parts of the world with the water filters which enables them to have clean water, and the cost of one water filter is not near the cost of building a well. Through people purchasing a water filter kit for only $65 for one, families in Africa are provided with a filter and bucket, giving them clean water for years and years. They also have women in Africa make beads out of recycled paper and then the beads are brought over and are strung into necklaces and bracelets and the jewelry is then put for sale. The profit from the jewelry goes to help buying water filter kits for Africa. Without the hard work and determination of these organizations and the people that do all they possibly can do to end this tragic crisis, the number of people who they positively impact and provide clean water to each year would be drastically lower than it is.

There are many ways to get involved in the fight to end the clean water crisis and help out. One of the easiest ways to do your part is to simply raise awareness to the issue and help get others involved. If one person becomes determined and passionately fired up to help bring clean water to the third world,  the fire will grow  as more people become aware and involved. It will eventually burn bright enough for the whole world to see and feel the need to do their part in ending the thing that has caused much pain and suffering to so many people and families. Another way is to donate to organizations that are doing numerous amounts of things to get clean water for third world countries and developing parts of the world. In order for them to keep doing what they are doing to bring a positive impact on thousands of lives, they need support and money to keep them running. Without it,  more people will be affected by one of the most biggest, deadliest issues in the world today. Sometimes even just a small donation of $5 dollars could help change someone's life forever and could stop a child from being affected by a water related disease. One easy, simple way that I have volunteered, is stringing the beads from Just One Africa into bracelets and necklaces for them to sell in order to make money for the water filter kits. It was a great opportunity and only took about an hour and a half. By knowing that I had a part and helping bring clean water to people who desperately need it gave me a tremendous feeling of joy and has made me appreciate what I have been blessed with much more than I have been doing. Volunteering not only impacts the people you are helping, but also impacts you. It really makes you think twice about something as simple as clean water to brush your teeth in the morning and is something everyone should do at least once in their life.

Volunteering can and will make a difference  in the lives of many people throughout the world. Clean water is not a want, but is a need for people in parts of the world today. Through the work of others, the crisis can be stopped and lives can be changed for the better. Getting involved in volunteering for the clean water crisis brings a positive impact on others and yourself and I strongly urge myself and others to volunteer. Now that you are aware, what will you do? Changing the lives of others, may change your life and how you look at it. Volunteering is the perfect way to do that.