Delivering water filters in the Philippines and what it taught me...
-It always takes a team to be successful: The island of Tawi Tawi is located near the Southern edge of the Archipelago. To get there, we first need pre-coordination from both the Sultan of the province of Sapa Sapa and a Filipano Marine escort at all times. We worked with the locals, the Marines, U.S. Marines, and Waves For Water to make this happen. Here's a brief explanation of what it took logistically for just me to get there.
LAX -> SFO -> Manila -> Zomboanga -> Tawi Tawi. Then 30-minute drive -> 1-hour boat ride -> 30-minute drive = Total hours: 24 hours
This could not have happened without a team
-Be continuously grateful for what you have: During our time, fresh water was in short supply at times, showers were inconsistent, toilets may or may not have existed, salt water was not uncommon to be used as drinking water, and wells were either open, too shallow, or empty. Yet, the people, unsurprisingly, were happy, grateful, caring, giving, accommodating, and hospitable.
-Filters can save lives: Being on the team at Waves For Water and the Clean Water Corps showed me firsthand the impact we can have. On our trip, we visited two villages, Sapa Sapa and Turburan on the island of Basilian. Led by the Waves4Water Philippine team, we supplied 90 filters which would be spread out for schools, hospitals, households, general meeting places and other locations they felt would be fitting. Here is one example of how 1 filter could help a family.
In one location, a well was dry about half the time. In order to get water (not necessarily clean or fresh) they took a 10-minute boat ride to a neighboring village and paid for water. They did this twice a day. If they were to do this for half the month, they would pay $60 in water and would have spent 10 hours. On average, a family income here is $100-$200 a month.
With 1 filter supplied by Sawyer Products, they would save 10 hours a month, $60 a month, and have actual clean water for not only drinking but medical use as well. It will last them 10 years or 1 million gallons.
Want to combine health and water? Trybe can help. Customize a trip anywhere in the world to combine the power of physical and cognitive health with delivering clean water to those in need. Reach out today. admin@trybesummits.com
