Water Facts... some facts are hard to swallow

The Youth Group at our church (Linton First Christian Church) is spreading the word about
the condition of safe/unsafe drinking water. 

Did you know...

884 million people lack access to safe drinking water?  That's approximately 1 out of every 8 persons on earth!

2.5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation with nearly 1/2 of that number having NO facilities at all!

This means that a lack of water to meet daily needs is a reality today for 1 in 3 people around the world.  Either water is physically scarce due to their geographical location or they live in developing countries that face water shortages due to lack of infrastructure to fetch water from rivers or aquifers.

Less than 1% of the worlds fresh water is readily accessible for human use!

Nearly 2/3 of people who lack access to clean water live off wages of less than $2 a day.

People who live in rural areas or slums often pay 5 to 10 times more money per liter of water than their wealthy counterparts living in the same city.

Poverty and water scarcity force people to rely on unsafe sources for drinking water.  It also means they cannot bathe or clean their clothes or homes properly.

To compensate, millions of women and children spend several hours a day walking 6 or more miles to collect water from polluted sources.  Time that could be spent in school or practicing a trade that would benefit their family's current needs and future success.

The situation is getting worse as needs for water rise along with population growth, urbanization and increases in household, agricultural, and industrial uses.

We realize that facts can sometimes be overwhelming or even desensitize us to the issues, as we begin looking at mass numbers rather than individual lives. 

 But the truth is God has placed us in the most wonderful nation on earth.  He has made us kings of the planet, we have the prosperity and knowledge to make change happen for His children.  He has directed us to care for our brother, the orphan, the widow. 
What will we do for our GOD today?  

Check out:
www.activewater.org
www.gocrossway.org
www.worldvision.org

(The above statistics were gathered from World Health Organization and United Nations)