To celebrate her birthday in 2008, Daniel Island resident Angela Black Drake did something a little out of the ordinary. She went on a mission trip to Honduras on behalf of Charleston-based Water Missions International (WMI). She returned with memories of a poverty-stricken place and a plastic bottle full of dirty brown water – an unlikely "souvenir" that reminds her of what she saw there, and the fact that more than one billion people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water.
"The villagers were bathing, washing clothes, urinating and drinking in the river where we gathered the water to bring back," said Drake, who helped install four water treatment systems and 30 latrines. "The dogs had no hair, the chickens had no feathers and the children’s bellies were swollen because of the horrendous lack of sanitation and clean water…(It was) hard work, but the trip was one of the most gratifying of all the trips I have ever been on."
The numbers paint a bleak picture of a devastating problem. According to WMI, a Christian-based non-profit organization, every day an estimated 25,000 people die from having an inadequate or contaminated drinking supply. And perhaps even more startling is the fact that by the time you finish reading this article, waterborne illnesses will claim the lives of 12 children under the age of five (one every 15 seconds).
Drake and scores of other community members are joining together to see that the work done by WMI continues to flow around the world. The Daniel Island Rotary Club, of which Drake is a member, has partnered with the Charleston Rotary Lunch Club to provide critical, lifesaving water to thousands of adults and children in impoverished communities in Peru. On March 3, Rotarians will sponsor "Sip of Daniel Island," a pub-crawl type of event that entitles ticketholders free or discounted beverages and appetizers at nine island restaurants. All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit WMI and their Peruvian initiative.
"It’s a great way for islanders to experience, and get a taste of, every restaurant on the island," said Karen Elsey, of Laura Albert’s Tasteful Options, one of the participating eateries. "Come and visit and see what we’re all about, while donating your money to an incredibly worthwhile cause."
Tom Richards, another Daniel Island Rotarian, is helping to coordinate the "Sip" event and has been amazed by the outpouring of support the project has received so far.
"It’s just been terrific, and it shows you what you can do if you just get the right people involved," he said. "And with the support of island businesses, it’s got to be a win-win for everybody."
A portion of the money raised for WMI will help send five Daniel Island Rotarians directly to Iquitos, Peru in April to oversee the installation of six new water treatment systems. Drake will be one of the travelers, along with Philip Castengera, Jimmy Bailey, Chris Watson and Cecil Mills. The new water purification systems left WMI headquarters in Charleston on December 12 and are due to arrive at their destination this week. The Iquitos Rotary Club and other volunteers will take care of preliminary work, such as ensuring electricity is in place, before crews from Daniel Island and the Charleston Rotary Lunch Club arrive.
"The systems will help about 3,000 people, by providing 10,000 gallons of water a day," said Richards. "These people use water for everything and it’s just not good. Bringing them portable water is literally a lifesaver and it’s going to make such a difference."
Brad Reed, president and chief operating officer of WMI, has witnessed firsthand the dire need for safe drinking water. The Daniel Island resident has personally traveled to impoverished communities in Peru, Honduras, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Indonesia through his work with WMI. In some cases, children spend five hours a day fetching water for their families – potentially deadly water infiltrated by parasites and other bacteria. The devices engineered by WMI, which can be set up in as little as two hours, can transform the brown murky water villagers have lived with all of their lives into safe, crystal clear drinking water.
"The water is completely disinfected, completely bacteria and pathogen free," said Reed. "Everywhere we go, when we go into a community, we drink the water. We show them that this is safe enough for us and our kids…It’s a level of trust and then little by little, it cascades. It’s a huge educational process."
Last week, WMI’s facility in West Ashley buzzed with activity as volunteers worked to assemble water purification systems destined for earthquake-rattled Haiti and other countries in need. Each community served with a water system, which can operate on electricity or solar power, costs about $25,000 to implement. Recipient communities must learn maintenance and operation of the systems plus basic microenterprise and hygiene principles.
"Each community must organize a safe water committee to take responsibility for the water project," added Reed, who noted that WMI plans quarterly visits for the first year to ensure things are running smoothly. "This is the hardest part of what we do. The water and sanitation engineering is simple compared to the social engineering of teaching and training communities to change and take responsibility. This isn’t normal life for them."
Water purification isn’t all that WMI can provide to a struggling community. They also build and install sanitary pit latrines for those in need to further prevent the spread of disease. Their efforts have saved lives in close to 40 countries across the world, a fact easily visualized when you see the international flags of those nations hanging overhead inside the WMI facility. But for many WMI volunteers and donors, the inspiration to help comes from a simple Biblical message - one that shows there is certainly nothing murky about their mission to serve.
"All that the law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself."