A Gift of Water, A Lesson about Water 5


Gift:

The recent, brief water crisis that happened in Boston when we had to boil water before we could drink it and the resultant run on bottled water, made me truly appreciate how available good water is in the U.S.

For many people in the world, getting water for daily use requires leaving their homes and villages and walking many miles to bring home water in buckets. A simple and elegant solution has been designed: the Hippo Water Roller

The videos on the website are quite lovely – especially the “Hippo Tears” one. The “Project Leader Video” explains the thoughtfulness and science in the ingenious design.  (I’ve donated  one Hippo Water Roller and plan to donate more as my budget allows.)

For educators, raising money to donate a Hippo Water Roller would be a good project for students. It may also get them thinking about other practical design and science solutions.

Lesson

During the Youth Producing Change Screenings at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in January 2010, the film, Aquafinito, was screened. It was produced by Annalise Littman, currently a freshman at Tufts University and a former student at Newton South High School.

Aquafinito describes the struggle of people around the globe to gain access to clean water.

“Aquafinito raises awareness about the environmental and societal implications of bottled water, and Youth Producing Change has provided an important opportunity for the film to be seen and it’s message to be heard.” – Annalise Littman

To get a DVD of this film and those of other youth filmmakers from 2010, contact:
nedbalj@hrw.org.   The DVD is available free to educators.


About Candelaria Silva

Candelaria Silva-Collins is a marketing, community outreach and programming consultant; writer; and trainer/facilitator who lives in Boston, Massachusetts. She has designed and facilitated workshops on a wide variety of topics including communication, facilitation, job search skills, team building, and parenting issues. She currently coordinates the Community Membership Program of the Huntington Theatre Company. Her work as Director of ACT Roxbury was profiled in several publications, including The Creative Communities Builders Handbook. Candelaria’s children’s stories, short stories, essays and reviews have been published in local and national publications and she is an active blogger. Her publications include the booklets, Handling Rejection; Pushing through Shyness: Networking Tips when You’re Shy, Slow to Warm Up or Just don’t Feel you Belong; and Real Questions about Sex & Relationships for Teens: A Discussion Guide for Parents. She has served on the boards of Goddard College, Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston Foundation for Architecture, and Discover Roxbury. She is currently Chair, Designators of the Henderson Foundation.

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5 thoughts on “A Gift of Water, A Lesson about Water

  • thelma gosby

    this was great. bad water can make u panic. i try to keep water at home all the time. really don’t believe in our water system. what can u do??? will try and get dvd.

  • Lydia

    I’ve shared this with several friends who are teachers. A great reminder of how lucky we are in this country to have a safe (most of the time) water supply.

  • Candelaria

    That’s exactly what I hoped would happen – that my readers would get the word out especially to educators.
    Thanks for spreading the word.

  • www.globalchange.me

    You share your observation so graciously. We were honored to make a grant of $10,500 this April for the Global Change Inc. – Hippo Roller South Africa Community Grant Program in Kgautsuane South Africa. 105 Hippos donated changing the lives of 500 family members. And that community has an express need for 200 more Hippo Rollers.

    We are a non profit organization and a great majority of our donations come in very small amounts, which helps demonstrate the power of each individual to create change if we all participate.

    The Hippo Tears video fable is just fantastic, obviously made by a very talented film maker.

    Making presentations to students and teachers is a great way to engage the next generation of minds. If we can collaborate or share any of our lesson plans or materials please contact us. Respectfully, Buck Allen – Board Chairman Global Change Inc. email buck@globalchange.me