13/26
Transcript

Hi. I'm Del with LDS Charities, and I'm here with Sarina with WaterAid USA. WaterAid's one of the major partners for LDS Charities. And we're here at the LDS Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. There are so many needs around the world that we're trying to just do what we can to help where we can. So we're walking by a bunch of the humanitarian supplies that will go out around the world. But specifically, Sarina, we're so glad to have you here with us. We'd love to chat about clean water and why it's important for us to really work together on making an impact. So correct me if I'm wrong, but I think 1 in 10 people have no access to clean water. What does that look like for that population without access to water? It's a daily struggle, Del. Imagine waking up in the morning and having to worry about where your water is going to come from for drinking, for washing, for cooking, and having to ration the little water that you have and prioritize between those needs. And the struggle is daily, and every day having to figure that out again for yourself but also for your family. And the endless hours that mainly women and children spend walking and collecting water, it's a really big burden. So it's really more than just a drink of water. I mean, this is a life issue, isn't it? Yes. So with all the great work that WaterAid does around the world, how do you know that you're having an impact on that population without access to clean water? Well, one of the things I love about this work is that the impact is very clear. You go into a place that didn't have water, and you go into the same place a year later, and it looks different once the water has arrived. And so the kids are healthier. They're cleaner. There are little vegetable gardens that have popped up. Even the animals look healthier. There is a vibrancy. And it's because, really, water is life. Absolutely. That's a great way to see how water does impact every aspect of our life, doesn't it? Yeah. And how about building that local capacity so that if the water pump broke down or something else happened, what does WaterAid do to help that community be better prepared to fix that problem in the future? From the start, we're always looking at the long term. We don't want just the well or a tap. We want the water service, and we want the service that lasts. And so from the beginning, we're talking with communities about, what is their role? What are they going to contribute? Their labor, their volunteer time. What are we going to contribute? Our technical skills, maybe. And it's a partnership. And so we're really helping--we're playing a role, but we're really helping people help themselves. What a great message, really helping people be self-reliant. And that's the best approach, I think, to this kind of work. We're so grateful for you being here today and so thankful for our partnership with WaterAid. We couldn't do half the work we do without you. So thanks for being here. And thank you. And thank you to the LDS Charities as well for your generous support. And we couldn't do any of this work without you. Thank you.

Behind the Scenes: WaterAid CEO Sarina Prabasi

Description
In this Behind the Scenes, Del Brady, the clean water initiative manager, talks with WaterAid CEO Sarina Prabasi about the importance of supplying sustainable clean water solutions.
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