On April 15, Geneva College participated in Be Hope to Her (BH2O+), a nationwide event that educates students and community members on the lack of accessible clean water in Africa and the challenges that presents for the female population there.
Beginning at 5 p.m., approximately 40 students hoisted five-gallon buckets on their heads and walked across campus in solidarity with African women and girls who spend an average of three hours per day collecting water from distant sources. These women must then spend additional time filtering and disinfecting that water so that it is safe to drink.
“Children as young as five do this,” says freshman Faith Lambert. “It wasn't extremely hard, but the bucket wasn't completely full, we only walked one mile, we only did it one time, and we had each other's support. In Africa, the children and women will walk miles just one way and do that multiple times a day.”
Geneva was one of 23 colleges across the country that participated in BH2O+ during that week. The event is sponsored by Nuru International, a non-profit, public benefit charity committed to equipping the poor in remote, rural areas to end extreme poverty in their communities within five years.
The consumption of contaminated water is responsible for approximately 80% of all diseases and more than a third of all deaths in developing countries. Access to clean water, as well as education about sanitation, is critical to reducing illness in communities worldwide.
For more information, visit www.nuruinternational.org.
To watch a video from the event, click here.
Geneva College is a comprehensive Christian college of the arts, sciences and professional studies. Founded in the tradition of the Reformed Christian faith, Geneva prepares students to serve Christ in all areas of society: work, family and the church. Geneva College′s philosophy of education is based on the Foundational Concepts of Christian Higher Education. Geneva is a founding member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).
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