The availability of clean safe water in underdeveloped countries around the world is a huge problem. 1 "Worldwide, 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean water, and 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation" 1
Every twenty seconds a child dies due to unclean water and 3.75 million people die each year because of diseases that are related to dirty unsanitary water.2
In addition to health concerns there are also social concerns that are caused by the lack of clean water, such as having to defecate under unsafe conditions at night in secluded areas, therefore putting women at risk for violent attacks. 3 Many children are not able to attend school due to the lengthy and tiring process of securing water. 3
In 2008 Jeff Church took a trip to Africa with his family. While they were there, they witnessed poverty at levels that shocked them. 4 He decided he wanted to think of a way that he could help. 4
Nika Water is a small bottled water company based in San Diego,California that began in 2009. The founders of the company, Jeffery Church and Mike Stone, do not take a salary. 4 Nika is an Eco-friendly bottled water company. 5. Not only do they have a special recycling program where they work with high schools and pay them to recycle, they have been certified as "CarbonFree". 5. They received this certification from Carbonfund.org by offsetting 100% of the companies carbon emission by investments in carbon offsetting programs such as reforestation projects in Nicaragua 5. The company donated 100% of their profits to organizations to help fund for is to "create an inexpensive, mass appeal product that consumers are already using every day" in order to fund for clean water and education projects in still developing countries across the globe. 6
Project One: Together With Free the Children Nika Water is funding the cost of building a school that can hold up to 500 children for grades Kindergarten through eighth in Pimbiniet, Kenya. 7 Funding will also be provided for a water catchment system and micro finance organization for the women in the village. [1] Through the water catchment systems, rainwater is captured on building roofs and piped over rainwater storage tanks. 7 The girls are provided with clean water before returning home from school. 7
Project Two: Project Concern International Nika water has created and funded donations over $50,000 to Project Concern. For many years, Project Concern has been working to provide poverty relief in Central America 8. In Nicaragua, PCI's focus country, nearly 2.3 million people live in poverty and 831,000 of these people live in extreme conditions with no access to decent water conditions 8. Both women and children in Nicaragua endure poor health; one of every three children is suffering from a form of chronic malnourishment 8. The funds that are given by Nika water are being used to help build five gravity run mini aqueducts, five wells, and 200 latrines and improve the conditions of nearly 4,000 people. 8
Project Three: Village of Hope [www.villageofhopeuganda.com Village of Hope] has purchased over 100 acres to build communities for orphans and widows can live with their remaining family members in safety from the war in Northern Uganada, so they can go to school and learn how to help themselves. Each community provides everyone with the basic nessecities of life: food, shelter, safety, education, skill training, love and hope.9To anchor the village, construction of a water well is a major priority. Nika Water is partnering with Village of Hope to help finance and build the water well.9 By funding ten thousand dollars towards the building of a water well, Nika Water will help provide water for over 300 orphans and the surrounding community.9 [www.water.cc Living Water] (LWI), a leading provider of participatory, community-based water solutions in developing nations, is responsible for building the well. In its 16 year history, LWI has completed over six thousand community water projects in 25 countires, which provide safe, clean water to 9.5 million people daily. 9
Nika Water Company supports and sponsors several activities that help raise money through the sale of the water and other events and raise awareness about the lack of available clean water in some countries though out the world as well. 10
- Become a Campus Representative for your high school or college. Representatives will be a part of the following activities. 11
- Representatives will work with other organizations on campus to raise awareness of the lack of clean water and the problems associated with the unsanitary conditions it causes. 11
- Representatives will also host at least one on campus event a semester. 11
- Representatives will also host community events, such as "water walks" to raise awareness and money. 11
- Representatives conduct public presentations. 11
- Representatives hold "Change for Change" events on campus where bottles of change are collected and donated. 11
- Work with stores in the community around the school to get the water sold in the stores. 11
Activities by non-representatives include:
- Have Nika Water set up a table at your event or festival 12
- Interview Nika Water 13
- Allow Nika Water to help you create a presentation for the World Water Crisis 14
- Petiton your favorite grocer or coffee shop to sell Nika Water 15
Also, if you want to go "like" them on Facebook, you can stay up to date on all their efforts for the cause.
- http://web.archive.org/web/20150920065203/http://www.irinnews.org/indepthmain.aspx?InDepthId=13&ReportId=61155
- http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/
- http://nikawater.org/the-crisis/
- http://www.openforum.com/articles/from-ceo-to-social-entrepreneur-how-jeff-church-is-changing-the-world
- http://www.nikawater.org/assets/pdfs/Nika_tribune.pdf
- http://web.archive.org/web/20151114163534/http://www.nikawater.org:80/about-us/
- http://nikawater.org/pimbiniet-kenya/
- http://nikawater.org/las-brenas-nicaragua/
- http://nikawater.org/bweyale-uganda/
10. http://nikawater.org/get-involved/
11. http://nikawater.org/become-a-campus-rep/
12. http://nikawater.org/create-your-own-nika-event/
13. http://nikawater.org/interview-us/
14. http://nikawater.org/nika-presentations/
15. http://nikawater.org/make-a-connection/
