Clean Water for Life
Water makes up more than two thirds of the weight of the human body, and without it, man would die within a few days. Many of us take water for granted because we have abundant access to clean water. Yet a huge population of people living on our planet has to go through great lengths just to get a clean bath or even a drink of water. Many children worldwide get sick and die as a result of serious microbial infections contracted through the consumption of contaminated water. In many developing countries like Ghana, the availability of clean water for daily sustenance is meager. According to UNICEF, the lack of essential sanitation and contaminated water claims the lives of more than 1.5 million children every year mostly through water-borne diseases. Clean Water for Life aims to make a lasting impact in changing the lives in selected Ghanaian communities by providing its inhabitants with sustainable resources to ensure that clean water is no longer a scarce resource. As such, this working group underscores not only the importance of providing safe water to spare many a life, but also the need to provide access to such clean water sources for the long term – for life!
Clean Water for Life is researching and investigating the availability of water sources within a rural area in Ghana and strategically adapting ways to make to clean water readily and easily accessible to selected communities in the long-term. Through this project, citizens of the target communities will be made aware of the contribution of clean water to their health, morale and productivity.
Women bear the largest burden in communities with limited water supplies, expending about 64% more time and effort than men and boys in their household, collecting water from sources that are difficult to access. This initiative would ensure that water sources are in close proximity to the community, enabling women to actively on other important tasks such as raising their families, managing their trades and making a livelihood, instead of devoting excessive effort and time to obtaining water for their families on a daily basis. As with all other REACH projects, this initiative will serve as a model for achieving access to clean water in other Ghanaian communities and beyond. Having success in one community translates into a significant impact on another, and this positive chain reaction is what REACH strives for in the long run.
Project Director: Angela Choi
Angela holds a Bachelors degree in Finance from George Mason University’s School of Management and currently works as a Financial/Risk Analyst with the Travelers Insurance Companies, Inc. She previously worked for Bank of America and plans enrolling in an MBA program in the near future.
Before starting college in the US, Angela lived in Ghana where she volunteered extensively as an aid to a group of doctors who provided free consultation and treatment to the people of Ada, Ghana. During her high school years at Wesley Girls in Cape Coast, she was actively involved in the Red Cross and the American Field Society where she went on regular village outreach programs to educate and provide local children and youth with basic first aid. As a member of the college co-ed professional fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, she continued to actively participate in community work, serving as the vice president of community services for the Alpha Iota class.
At her current job, she is a member of the Diversity Committee and Invest, which guides high school children in choosing career paths for themselves. Angela has found tremendous gratification in helping others in the past and would like to continue down that path. Angela's general interests include issues concerning preventive health, and education and empowerment within communities. She believes that raising awareness of the importance of preventive health care and encouraging resource management in communities with limited resources is key to ensuring sustainable and comprehensive help. Angela loves cooking, trying new dishes, reading, watching movies and traveling.
Email: angela.choi@reachghana.org
