by Kristopher Coulston Access to clean water is not only essential for life, it is also essential for a thriving economy. When a nation’s citizens do not have ready access to clean water, every aspect of the country is negatively impacted, especially the economy. Women and girls are the citizens who are most affected by… Read more »
Crumbling Defenses Against Flooding
by Mehreen Quadri From hurricanes and earthquakes in the west to torrential rains in the east, the last few weeks have been difficult for many around the world. In Niger, heavy rains have caused flooding, especially in Niamey, the city where it meets the upper Niger delta. Reports state that the flooding has destroyed thousands… Read more »
Preschooler’s Water PSA
A quick PSA from blogger Andrea Levin’s daughter Lily: Back in 2010, two years before the California drought officially started, we had already attempted to teach our then 4-year-old daughter the importance of water conservation. Apparently, it worked because one day my husband turned the camera on her and she launched into this unscripted water… Read more »
Empowered by Water
by Kristopher Coulston Illness and family emergencies are typically the cause for school absence in developed countries. Unfortunately, this is not the situation in drought-stricken countries, such as Niger. Water is scarce and girls spend hours walking miles just to satisfy their desperate need for it, even if the water sources they are gathering from… Read more »
A Universal Sound
by Shelton Owen Hope. Fear. Joy. Pain. These emotions have no borders or bias, no specific target or scope. Every race, gender, culture, and religious group is familiar with these essential human emotions. How enlightening is it to realize that we are all connected, each one of us at the mercy of our innate emotional… Read more »
Grocery Day
by Jennifer Dees You know when you get home from the grocery store, and you realize that if you put five bags on each arm, you won’t have to make another trip? And then you struggle with the doorknob because you somehow always forget there’s a door? And when you finally drop it all onto… Read more »
Bringing Clean Water to Niger
by Michelle Wolf It’s difficult to imagine living a life without clean water. In First World countries, clean water is a basic need that is accessible and taken for granted. Clean water is an assumed right. Cities are held accountable for collecting and filtering water before that water enters homes. In places like Niger, clean,… Read more »
Culture of Health
by Emily Johnson Growing up, I was a small child. Healthy-looking to any passerby, I was active, hyper, wide-eyed, and smiley but again, noticeably, even exaggeratedly, smaller than other kids. I was short and scrawny, with knobby arms and legs. I ate a lot during childhood, anything in arm’s reach— vegetables, red meats, starches, fruits,… Read more »
Water, Taken for Granted
by Rita Brhel I live in the middle of America’s heartland — Nebraska — surrounded by a sea of corn and soybean fields, most of which are irrigated for the entire growing season. Even the crops that aren’t irrigated still yield enough to provide the farmer with ample income to live on. I live atop… Read more »
Monthly
by Michelle Wolf It happens every month and every month I forget to grab a few tampons from under the bathroom sink. Thankfully, there is a gold basket in the ladies’ room at work with a few sample packs for me to use. And I can always find an ample supply of tampons in one… Read more »
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