Water in the Time of Coronavirus
We’re all trying to cope at an incredibly daunting time.
I hope you and your loved ones are able to stay safe and healthy as this virus that is ravaging our entire world increasingly intensifies.
Living in Mexico with my wife and young child, we are a few weeks behind the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., but we have been following closely as the virus is moving our way. We are taking all the precautions we can.
This is a time for honesty and frankness so I’m not going to mince words.
As you undoubtedly know, the first line of defense against the Coronavirus is frequent hand washing everyday, washing surfaces, and staying hydrated. Unfortunately, these seemingly simple actions are a major challenge for tens of thousands of our neighbors who just don’t have access to enough water.
Throughout the Alto Rio Laja Watershed, which includes several cities like San Miguel as well as more than 2,500 rural communities, the water that is available is often laden with arsenic and fluoride – contaminantes associated with a whole slew of serious health conditions like painful skeletal fluorosis, developmental disorders in children, and several types of cancer. However, even more concerning right now, is the lack of water. Our finite water supply is continuing to decline, and for too many, it means there is no consistent water access to meet the hygiene requirements necessary to control the spread of this virus.
This issue directly affects all of us in the region and was recently emphasized by the United Nations Human Rights Council who stated:
In Mexico alone, more than 50% of the population lives in water scarcity conditions. In our region, many of the communities where we work only receive water for a few hours once or twice a week. This is further complicated in these rural areas by slow moving, and often inaccurate, information and a lack of nearby medical facilities equipped to respond to this virus.
Caminos de Agua is adapting fast.
Our work right now is expanding and changing by necessity and is more important than ever. We are continuing to find ways to work with those most vulnerable in our region, safely under current conditions, to increase water access. We are rapidly building a new community education program that will make local communities, especially in rural areas, more aware of the personal hygiene practices they need to adopt immediately and how they can do so with limited water supplies. We are creating social media campaigns to get these messages out fast, and we’re also working with partners to provide useful information virtually through livestreams and other media.
If you’ve ever thought of giving, now’s the time.
We know during this unprecedented time that many people are feeling stressed, vulnerable, and, understandably, not very philanthropic. But, it is also a time when we at Caminos feel a responsibility to step up and do more. Right now we’re doing everything we possibly can, but the reality is, our donation stream has significantly dried up, and our main foundation support has paused our work and funding until further notice. There’s a limit to how long we can operate at a deficit.
So we have no choice but to come to you, our friends and supporters, and ask for your financial help at this time. If you can, please help us with a donation today. If you cannot, of course we understand.
More water and hand washing is going to lower infection rates, which benefits us all. So, that’s where you will find us focusing our efforts for the foreseeable future. We are committed to keeping you informed and will do so through a series of emails over the next several weeks.
If you want to know more, we are ready to talk.
Keeping our supporters informed is very important to us, especially right now. If you have questions, opinions, or issues, send them directly to me at dylan@caminosdeagua.org. I’ll make sure that I, or someone on the team, gets back to you as soon as we can.
Best Regards,
Dylan Terrell
Executive Director
