SYNOPSIS
Water is crucial in maintaining our lives and society. Although people can survive without food for a month, they cannot survive for even a week without water. At times like when Katrina, the hurricane, swept across New Orleans, a great tsunami surged over Indonesia, and an earthquake hit Sichuan, what the survivors most waited for was water.
In January, 2010, an unexpected earthquake with a 7 degrees intensity hit Haiti, a small island country out in the Caribbean. The earthquake centered mainly in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, unfortunately the most highly populated city in Haiti. 200,000 people lost their lives. Government buildings, airports, and sea ports were destroyed. The government was virtually immobilized and this made it quite inconvenient when bringing in aid supplies. Countless people lost their families, homes, and everything else they had. The victims of this disaster did not have food to eat. Their injuries were not being treated. This time again, what the victims needed most was water.
Water can save people’s lives, but also kill lives. Since 1991 till 2000, 665,000 people lost their lives due to 2,557 natural disasters. 90 percent of these calamities were related to water.
The Haitians know that water is not just a “life-saver.” They have experienced the annual hurricanes that visit Haiti. Like this earthquake, the hurricanes have also caused great damage. In 2008, a hurricane swept across Haiti and left it practically in ruins. The survivors of the earthquake are already worrying about the damage this year’s hurricane will cause to the yet unrestored Haiti.
GOALS
Raise Awareness of the Importance of Water
Nothing will be able to exist without water. In each and every part of our lives and society, water is an essential matter. Civilizations developed, mainly centered around water. Where there was an abundant source of water, the lives of the people were abundant as well. Although water is a greatly crucial matter, not many people are aware of its importance.
Understand the Various Characteristics of Water
The earthquake that hit Haiti in January, 2010 provided people an opportunity to rethink about the importance of water. After the earthquake, people sought most after water to survive. The people of Haiti also are well aware of the cruel side of water. Hurricanes completely soaks Haiti every year as it passes by. We can understand more about water when we look into Haiti. Water is essential to maintain life, but life is sometimes also taken away by water.
Refocus on Haiti
The international society focused on Haiti after the devastating earthquake. However, as time passed by even the donations have started to slowly dwindle. We want to refocus on Haiti through the topic of water.
By refocusing on Haiti, which has gone through a disastrous calamity, we hope to once again catch the interest of the internatinoal society. We hope to be able to view Haiti with a new perspective and think of what kind of aid is needed and how it can be done.
Any partnership and sponsorship inquires mail to: friend@pursuitofwater.org
