A couple of years ago, I was doing research for a project I was working on for People Water (a for-profit organization in Utah that sells bottled water and gives drop-for-drop clean water to those who need it). I learned that especially in developing countries, the need for clean water is enormous. 1 in 10 people worldwide (or 2x the entire U.S. population) does not have access to clean water.* The burden of getting the water a family needs falls heavily on women and girls, taking them away from other important things like education and income-earning job opportunities. The cost of just getting water is so high: In Africa, women and girls spend 40 billion hours walking for water.* A girl may miss out on her opportunity to get an education, which dominoes to closed doors of opportunity later in life.
So last month when I heard about the Stranger in a Strange Land show put together (thanks to Andrew Ehninger and Mod-a-go-go) as a benefit for refugees in Utah through the International Rescue Committee, I knew I wanted to do something around this issue of a girl literally giving her life to gathering water. I hoped to capture the burden of her chore and how by restricting her activities to the (absolutely vital) gathering of water would cost her mind and voice and her ability to live her own life.
Water: The High Cost of Really Living
20″ x 20″ Acrylic on wood panel
$1250 (proceeds go to IRC)
If you’d like to learn more and take action in support of any the causes at play here, please take time to learn more via the links provided and contribute where you feel you can.
Thanks so much for your interest and support. And thanks for watching.
*Source: charitywater.org