Walking the distance for fresh water.

18 April 2011

Good news for the Hamar Tribe in Ethiopia
Having access to fresh pure drinking water is something we tend to take for granted, particularly within the developed world. We are able to survive weeks without food but only a matter of days without water. According to the UN, only 42% of people in rural areas had access to clean water in 2004. For those unfortunate people without water on tap, actually sourcing the water can take time, effort, and often a flash of genius. We are very fortunate in the UK to have access to clean water. However, at Pure Eau we still feel that the tap water we are drinking is not the best it can be. Our water coolers and water filters use the process of Reverse Osmosis to remove contaminants in drinking water to enable the clean, pure drinking water.
In Ethiopia, the Hamar Tribe usually endure gruelling temperatures whilst walking miles to retrieve polluted water from their nearest wells. Prolonged drought has made the Hamar’s lives precarious. They are pastrolists who have little contact with the modern world and continue live as they have done for centuries. Unfortunately, these tools for survival are no longer suitable to cope with modern times. They are aware that the traditional practices to search for pure water can no longer keep them alive and are keen to learn practices that will keep them safe. Women and children from the Tubu tribe set off to market across the desert, knowing the walk will take eight days in temperatures that can exceed 45C. They also know that the only way to survive is by remembering the location of a single well along the way. They take their bearings from the stars and read the shapes of the sand dunes. These navigational skills have been passed down by their mothers, but one wrong reading of the shifting sand dunes can result in death. Wild Elephants play a significant role for the Samburu Tribe in Kenya when the water in the river runs dry. The Elephants have an amazing ability to detect underground water so the Sumburu people watch them closely and then take their water from the shallow wells that the elephants leave open for them. As a thank you, Samburu thanks the elephants by filling troughs which they leave out for thirsty animals in the village. It is their belief that no living thing should suffer the agony of dying from lack of water, especially those animals mainly responsible for helping to keep the herdsmen and their families alive. Pure water is key to optimum health and one in which we take for granted.
It appears the Hamar Tribe may have struck it lucky. A Global Grant for $70,000 by the Rotary Foundation has been awarded to bring clean water and to implement disease prevention training. The project will construct two wells and teach sanitation and hygiene to 1,500 people who currently have no access to clean water. The money will enable the Hamar people to identify and solve their own problems and regain their own self reliance. Pure Eau supports any initiative which promotes health and allows access to clean pure water. Our water coolers and water filters ensures the UK are kept hydrated with clean pure water and enables homes and businesses to drink clean water as much as they can drink.

Article Links

water filter http://www.pure-eau.co.uk/water-filters.cfm
pure water http://www.pure-eau.co.uk/benefits/crystal-clear.cfm
water coolers http://www.pure-eau.co.uk/water-coolers.cfm
reverse osmosis http://www.pure-eau.co.uk/the-process.cfm

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