20Views
LifeStraw is changing the lives of those who don’t have access to drinkable water
Areas affected by the slew of hurricanes this year are still in a state of reconstruction.
Donation efforts have been incredible, but one of the main issues that still remains is getting drinkable water to the hurricane victims.
People are getting sick or dying from thirst and contaminated water. There are still around one million American citizens in Puerto Rico who have no access to clean water.
The company that’s helping to change that is LifeStraw.
The LifeStraw mechanism makes contaminated water safe to drink. But how?
Every filter and purifier uses a hollow fiber membrane that mechanically removes contaminants from water.
Dirty water goes into the LifeStraw product, microorganisms are physically removed, and safe drinking water comes out.
Imagine really small tubes with even smaller pores that trap contaminants, but allow water to flow through.
This is a life-saving mechanism
In relation to the hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, Kulture Hub was able to catch up with LifeStraw’s partner, Dr. Timothy D. Dye, who is on the ground in Puerto Rico.
Dr. Dye let us know what the real situation is on the devastated island,
“The communities are recovering slowly but many are still too isolated and under-resourced. All of the places we visited had some things but not others, all of them struggled with water, insulin, electricity, and basic provisions for their workers. This tragedy is unfortunately still unfolding – mosquitoes are terrible and water is a struggle, still, everywhere. But, the trees are starting to show green and that gives people hope.”
Professor Timothy D. Dye, Ph.D., José Pérez-Ramos, a Puerto Rican Ph.D. student, and their colleagues from the University of Rochester are in partnership with LifeStraw.
Both Dye and Ramos are also in collaboration with numerous Puerto Rican community agencies – the PROTECT Project, the Asociación de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico, and a network of community health centers.
Their help efforts in PR have been incredible.
Hopefully, Andrew Cuomo pulling up will inspire others to survive too
Dr. Dye and Ramos are not the only people LifeStraw is collaborating with. In fact, they are partnered with multiple organizational partners all over the country. LifeStraw’s main focus is,
“To ensure we are working with organizations with long-standing activities and relationships in Puerto Rico so that the products we provide can get to the hardest-to-reach areas and can be sustainably supported over the long-term.”
LifeStraw is truly in this for the long haul as their products last three to five years. One product changing the game in PR is their LifeStraw Community water purifier.
The LifeStraw Community water purifier provides safe water for 75 to 100 people. Those are life-changing numbers.
By the way, it also meets the highest standard for microbiological removal based on independent testing from the World Health Organization.
Real numbers
LifeStraw is also very out here with their Safe Water Fund!
The Safe Water fund is aimed at not only helping Puerto Rico, but parts of the Caribbean, Texas, Florida, and other areas in the Gulf of Mexico that have also been affected by hurricanes.
So far, in Puerto Rico, the Safe Water Fund has been able to provide more than 20,000 residents with access to clean water filters and purifiers. Help double that number, better yet triple it!
There are other help efforts you can donate to as well. LifeStraw is also gearing up for their fourth annual Follow the Liters campaign, where they distribute water purifiers to schools in developing communities to bring safe water to school children.
In February 2018, the Follow the Liters campaign will take place in Western Kenya where it will reach a major milestone – bringing safe water to over one million kids.
How? For every product purchased at retail, a school child in a developing community receives safe water for an entire school year.
This is one hell of a mission. Make sure to follow LifeStraw on their journey as they continue to respond to natural disasters and maintain their long-standing programs in rural schools in Kenya and India.