By Megan Hale | Reporter
World Water Day, which occurs annually on March 22, is a day to bring awareness to the widespread raging water scarcity crisis and to recognize the importance of this resource that is so often taken for granted. An estimated 2.3 billion people around the globe currently do not have access to a clean, sustainable source of water.
According to the United Nations website, water scarcity can be found on every continent. Of these 2.3 billion people, an estimated 733 million people live in critically dangerous water-stressed areas. It is also estimated that 4 billion people experience water insufficiency during at least one month of the year.
The Baylor Wells Project is a student organization with the goal of bringing attention to the water scarcity distress around the globe. By partnering with Living Water International, members have the opportunity to use their knowledge and skills to educate their peers and fundraise for this ministry.
According to Living Water International’s website, this mission organization seeks to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities access clean water while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
After going on a mission trip with Living Water International in 2019, San Diego junior and president of the Baylor Wells Project Erin Lynes saw firsthand the need for clean water and the dangers water scarcity can cause.
“I think a lot of people turn their eye from [water scarcity] or donate money but don’t really get involved or continue to educate themselves because it’s sad,” Lynes said. “But I think making that choice to realize this can be a happy thing because you can make a difference.”
Through fundraising and advocacy, the Baylor Wells Project brings the water issue to the forefront of students’ minds. Every fall, the Baylor Wells Project hosts a campus-wide campaign called The 10 Days. All the money fundraised by this project goes directly to Living Water International to provide clean water to individuals living in Rwanda, Africa.
“The main goal is to get people to donate whatever money they would have spent on drinks other than water,” Lynes said. “So you only drink water for 10 days. You can eat whatever you want, but no coffee, tea, lemonade or soda. And you do that in order to just put yourself in the mindset of what it is like to not have the luxuries that we have here.”
According to the Baylor Wells Project website, The 10 Days challenge allows students to reflect on what they have been blessed with, provides a way for students to love their neighbors around the world, honors God through financial sacrifice and impacts lives in Rwanda by bringing those in need both clean water and the gospel.
The Baylor Wells Project provides a platform for students to play an active role in bringing awareness to these issues highlighted by World Water Day. San Francisco junior Vanessa VanNorman said this project has shifted her worldview for the better.
“I think that it is important, and it’s a good way to kind of get outside your comfort zone and get outside your own perspective and point of view and try to understand how other humans live,” VanNorman said.
