Some 74% of people in the world have access to safely managed drinking water. But there are still two billion humans (one in four people) who don’t. Unsafe water is responsible for more than a million deaths each year globally. Lack of access to safe water sources is a leading risk factor for infectious diseases. In the Philippines 40 million Filipinos still lack access to clean water, especially in provincial towns and villages scattered around its 7,641 islands. Let that sink in for a while as you open that chilled bottle of Evian.
“Water is the foundation of everything – health, education, livelihoods. Without clean water, communities cannot thrive,” Jenica Dizon-Mountford, Philippines Country Director of NGO Waves For Water. Always drawn to meaningful work that contributes to something bigger, she thought at first it meant marine conservation, then sustainability, then policy. Over time, she realised that all these things connected back to water, and more importantly, to people.
“Without regard to whether some place is wealthy or poor, everybody should have the chance at clean air and clean water.”
- Barack Obama, USA President 2009-2017 -
Shawntel Nieto: Serving the Underserved
If you have food on the table, a roof over your head, clothes on your back, kids in school, running water and electricity, and a job that pays for the bills, then you are more fortunate than over 719 million people in the world living in poverty. How do poor families survive? What can we do to help?
Shawntel Nicole M. Nieto has been pro-actively working toward helping those in dire straits through sustainable long-term initiatives since she was 19. “Growing up in the Philippines, I have seen how crippling poverty is and of how it robs millions of Filipinos of even their most basic of rights,” she says. “Believing that the capability to live and create the life they want is every person’s right, poverty is not something I can nor will stand for.”
Gina Romero: Unchaining Women
‘Inclusion’ is deeply embedded in Gina Romero's DNA. The only child of a former domestic helper, she grew up in the UK and was a troublesome teenager and a college dropout. Success finally came after she co-founded Connected Women, a Philippine-based social enterprise that uses technology to provide stay-at-home moms with remote work opportunities. "Why do women need to choose between career or family? Why do so many Filipinos need to leave home just to find decent work? Why do we need to be constrained within the hours of a working day or working week? What does it matter where we are when we work, if we can do our work from anywhere at any time? How do we create job opportunities for those who are deemed to be unemployable?” she says.
Nothing touches the human heart more than a compelling story that sparks hope, encouragement and good vibes. Many resonate with us. Others nudge us to take action. Some urge us to pause and ponder. A few restore our faith in humanity.
Weekly Sparks’ pursuit of enriching stories connects us to diverse communities of awe-inspiring individuals who open their hearts (some reluctantly) hoping that in sharing their struggles, pain and, eventually, triumphs someone out there can find the courage to pursue his/her aspirations.
We find such kinship with Women of the World. They are dreamers and believers. Their collective narrative of pushing boundaries and overcoming limitations is proof that anything is possible if we walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous and the doers. May their daring spirit ignite a fire within you.
Our Story is really about their stories. They reflect who we are at a deeper level, beyond roles and goals.