H2O for Life
Water: Our Shared
Sacred Symbol
Faith-based lessons and actions for
the global water crisis
Faiths for Safe Water
H2O for Life
1310 Highway 96 East
Suite #235
White Bear Lake, MN
55110
651-756-7577
www.h2oforlifeschools.org
Honoring our Shared Symbol
212-989-2956
http://www.impactcommunications.com/faiths_for_safe_water
Dear Faith Leaders and Educators,
Five years ago, H2O for Life was founded with a single mission: to help teachers in the US educate
students about the global water crisis through service learning strategies. The goal: to empower
students to become an effective part of the solution. In a few short years, we’ve witnessed
remarkable results.
Nearly one billion people lack access to clean water and 2.6 billion lack access to proper sanitation or
a simple toilet. Over 50% of all schools lack both. In a world of seven billion people, students found
the numbers staggering and unacceptable. And they became passionate about water--something
they’d taken for granted. As a way to offer service opportunities, H2O for Life became the conduit to
partner these youth, their classrooms and their schools with a specific school in a developing nation
in need of WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene education. (WASH)
In four years, almost 160,000 students from 44 states have raised almost $1.1 million through their
donations of nickels, dimes and quarters. Their efforts have built WASH projects in 306 schools in 21
countries, improving the lives of some 123,000 students. But let’s put a face on those numbers:
During the rainy season, the 261 students at the Ndururi Primary School in Northern Kenya
saw lots of rain but there was no safe storage system in which to contain it; and in the dry
season, they often had to walk three kilometers each day to fetch water from a polluted
stream. Their school had sub-standard pit latrines and no clean water to wash their hands,
which resulted in frequent bouts of illness and too many days missing school.
8000 miles away on a Sunday school field trip, 8 middle school and 20 high school students
from Kansas learned about the world's water crisis and decided to do something about it.
With guidance from H20 for Life, these students came up with some clever ideas. From
sending home empty water bottles with church members -- challenging each person to drop
a nickel in the bottle each time they used water, especially each time they flushed a toilet -to auctioning off a donated toilet from a local plumber, these industrious kids raised $6950.
H2O for Life’s partner NGOs match 100% and $13,500 later, a lot has changed for the kids at
the Ndururi Primary School.
They have roofs and gutters on the school to capture rainwater, which goes through biosand filters and into a permanent rainwater catchment tank. The boys and girls have four
separate latrines each, plus hand-washing stations with soap. Teachers note a dramatic
1
increase in attendance due to decreased illness, and lots more time in classes because girls
in particular no longer have to walk long distances mid-day to fetch water. The schools
improvements also led to water and sanitation improvements in the students' homes and
hand-washing facilities throughout the community as students shared their educational
awareness about the importance of sanitation and hygiene with their families.
When H20 for Life first started, our main goal was to improve the lives of children in developing
countries. But what’s happening here at home is equally compelling. American students, regardless of
their religion, race, social stature, intelligence or economic circumstances united around a single
cause. Each of them felt that individually, and as a group, they could improve the lives of their
counterparts in developing nations. They became passionate about people whom they would never
meet, whose path they would never cross, in countries they might never visit. They were not
concerned about the students’ heritage or background. They thought of them only as fellow students
who deserved the right to water and a bathroom at their school. Their passion seemed to be driven
by one common thread — that their actions made a difference in the lives of others. They rose to the
challenge and found a way to literally save lives and leave their mark on the world.
“It blows my mind to think that I have saved lives. It always seemed like that only happened in
books, or with someone who was famous. Now I can say I’ve saved lives. I took a step.”
- Abby, middle school student, Rockford, Minnesota
These students will be lifelong philanthropist, volunteers, dedicated global citizens who may very well
influence the world in ways that no other generation in our history has before.
Now, imagine a world in which the power of faith-based communities, of all religions, unites
around the shared sacred symbol of water to end the water crisis. It is a solvable problem and it
seems appropriate to ask our faith-based leaders to inspire their youth to help lead the way.
H2O for Life is ready to offer the free materials and support needed. We make it easy. We invite you,
children and adults, families and strangers, to become water advocates while providing WASH to a
school in a developing nation.
We have a long list of schools around the world waiting for you. Empower your congregation and
your kids to leave their own definitive mark in the lives of others.
Peace!
Patty Hall, President/Co-Founder
H2O for Life
651-756-7577
www.h2oforlifeschools.org
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A Note to Lesson Leaders
As a leader educating your students about WASH in Schools, you and your learners will literally be
changing the world for the better and will save lives while doing it.
Imagine a world in which water and sanitation is available to
every single person--all 7 billion of us.
At H2O for life, we live this vision every single day. Although the problem seems insurmountable, it is
not. Solutions are available.
Imagine a world in which all faith-based communities came together
to solve the water crisis.
At H2O for Life, we believe it is going to take all of us to conquer the water crisis.
Your success in using this guide and teaching about the water crisis will depend on your willingness to
believe that together—all faiths and all people--can make these visions a reality. If you believe in your
heart that it will happen, your learners will find you and your lessons engaging and relevant.
Empower your young people.
At H2O for Life we have witnessed amazing things take place when young people are empowered to
make a difference. Consider four young Girl Scouts who made angels out of beads and safety pins.
After their expenses, they donated over $1200 to an H2O for Life school. Consider the eighth graders
at Highview Middle School who were challenged to raise a huge amount of money--$7000--they
raised $13,000! Consider Nate. Nate participated in a Walk for Water and during the walk he carried a
five-gallon bucket of water for three miles on a cold Minnesota day. In his words, “I wanted to know
what other kids my age have to go through.” At the end of the walk, Nate donated his pledge of
$1.00. Nate comes from a family that could have used that $1. On that day, Nate showed what H2O
for Life was destined to become. That $1 is the reason why H2O for Life is successful.
At H2O for Life, we support YOU!
The information included here is meant to serve as a guide and resource. By knowing your audience
and adapting the material to suit their learning levels, participation needs and activities, you will
achieve your teaching goals and a successful partnership with a school overseas. (See p. 27 for more
details.) The team at H2O for Life stands ready to help make your activities successful and our
website is loaded with information, videos, activities and lessons. We are only a quick phone call or
email away.
Have Fun!
*H2O for Life * www.h2oforlifeschools.org * 651-757-7577 *
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Preface: Every March 22, Make the Commitment
ADVOCATE/EDUCATE/ACT
In 1992, the United Nations established every March 22, as World Water Day. The intent was to draw
attention to the importance of water to life on earth as well as the realization of how the competition
for and lack of water can be a source of suffering and conflict. Numerous NGOs and faith-based water
charities use the day to raise awareness of the work being done around the world in the name of
water.
On March 22, 2011, an consortium of religious leaders formed Faiths for Safe Water and issued a
collective “Sermon for World Water” to emphasize the shared symbolic importance of water in all
faiths, and the need to support access to this source of life for all. We offer this updated Sermon,
which originally appeared on the front page of the Huffington Post, for your use. We hope it might
serve as an annual resource and inspiration to your students’ and your congregation’s commitment
to water. Not only does it provide a good overview of the global water crisis, the need for action lies
in these words:
A SERMON FOR WORLD WATER
We Don’t Honor God when 4500 children die every day. But they do...from the lack of something so
simple we take it for granted every day – a clean glass of water. 4500 children -- that means every 20
seconds, one child dies, that little life extinguished. But you’ve probably not heard that tragic statistic
because the lack of safe water and sanitation is the greatest under-recognized global humanitarian
crisis we face and its impact is staggering. Dirty water remains the world’s dirty secret, and the death
of 4500 children every single day is just the tip of this devastating iceberg.
Almost a billion people do not have access to safe water globally and 2.5 billion lack the dignity of
basic sanitation. This lack of access translates into more staggering numbers: 80% of all disease is
related to a lack of sanitation and at any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by
patients suffering from water-borne diseases. We are all too familiar with the heart-wrenching pictures
of distended malnourished bellies, but when it comes to malnutrition, 50% of all malnutrition in
children is due to a lack of safe water – 50%! This water crisis is the leading killer of children under
five -- it kills more children than malaria, AIDS, and TB combined. The result: a catastrophic two
million, mostly preventable deaths, every year.
Think about it this way – we fight against malaria but poor sanitation increases breeding grounds for
malaria-carrying mosquitoes. We work hard to make sure HIV/AIDS patients get the anti-retroviral
drugs they need to sustain life, but already susceptible to disease, they must take these drugs with
unsafe water.
Here’s one more set of numbers that don’t make sense. In four days, the US uses more water than the
world uses oil in a year. We lead the world in per person water use, but current funding for water and
4
sanitation development amounts to less than one one-hundredth of a percent of the federal budget. Yet
for every US dollar invested in safe water and sanitation, there’s an economic return of $8.
Not prioritizing the global water crisis defies logic.
This pervasive level of illness prevents productivity, increases poverty, and inequality. Especially for
girls and women, because water is a woman’s burden. It’s estimated that in 26 African countries, some
40 billion hours of labor is spent hauling water each year. So not only can women spend up to 60% of
their day to collect [often filthy] water, which takes them away from caring for their children or
earning additional income for their families, their bodies quite literally break down. These jerry cans
are 40+ pounds and women haul them for miles every day, sometimes along desolate and unsafe paths.
The danger isn’t theoretical. Just around Christmas last year, two sisters aged 16 and 21, from a rural
village in India, went to a nearby field in the early morning hours to relieve themselves. There they
were held at gunpoint and gang-raped by three men.
Girls are denied education when forced to leave school to help their mothers with this heavy burden.
And when there is no gender appropriate sanitation facilities to take care of their personal needs, they
often drop out of school.
Access to safe water even impacts war and peace: the potential for conflict over water rights, and more
importantly, the potential for negotiated peace.
Here is perhaps the greatest shame of all: This problem is solvable.
Our religions are already a part of the solution. Secular and nonsecular water development fieldwork is
happening all around the world. But these projects need dramatically ramped up and far wider,
sustained support. With all the good work the faiths do, from malnutrition to AIDS, it’s all hampered
by the overarching absence of clean water and sanitation.
A story:
Let’s put a face on all these numbers. 261 faces in fact. They’re the students at the Ndururi
Primary School in Northern Kenya. During the rainy season, they have rainwater but had no
safe storage system and in the dry season, they often had to walk three kilometers each day to
fetch water from a polluted stream. Plus the school had sub-standard pit latrines and no clean
water to wash their hands, which resulted in frequent bouts of illness.
8000 miles away, on a Sunday school field trip, eight middle school and 20 high school
students from Kansas learned about the world’s water crisis and decided to do something about
it. With guidance from a unique nonprofit called H2O for Life, which partners US schools with
schools around the globe, these students came up with some clever ideas to help. From sending
home empty water bottles with church members -- challenging each person to drop a nickel in
the bottle each time they used water, especially each time they flushed a toilet -- to auctioning
off a donated toilet from a local plumber, these industrious kids raised $6950. The
implementing NGOs match student funds 100%, and $13,500 later, a lot has changed for the
kids of Ndururi Primary School.
5
They have roofs and gutters on the school to capture rainwater that goes through bio-sand
filters and into a permanent rainwater catchment tank. The boys and girls now have 4 separate
latrines each, plus hand-washing stations with soap. Teachers note a dramatic increase in
attendance due to decreased illness, and lots more time in classes because students no longer
have to walk long distances mid day to fetch water. The school’s improvements led to water
and sanitation improvements in the students’ homes and hand-washing facilities throughout the
community as students shared their educational awareness about the importance of sanitation
with their families.
As for the American kids? They’ve learned that they really can impact the world. Abby, a
middle school student, says, ““It blows my mind to think that I have saved lives. It always
seemed like that only happened in books, or with someone who was famous. Now I can say
I’ve saved lives. I took a step.” These kids will be the next generation of civic and maybe even
faith leaders.
So why is this crisis still so enormous and development work only a literal drop in the bucket? Because
what’s missing is not the know-how or technology, and certainly not the need, but the sense of urgency
and leadership. And who better to take the lead than the religions? Water is a central shared symbol
among every world religion. Water cleanses the body, and by extension purifies it, and these two main
qualities confer a highly symbolic - even sacred - status to water in religion. Water is a key element in
many ceremonies and religious rites.

Hindus imbue water with powers of spiritual purification all Hindu temples are located near a
water source, and followers must bathe before entering the temple. Many pilgrimage sites are
found on river banks; and sites where rivers converge are considered particularly sacred.

Shinto is Japan's indigenous religion and worship, whether public or private, always begins
with the all important act of purification with water. Inside the many sacred shrines troughs for
ritual washing are placed. Waterfalls are held sacred and standing under them is believed to
purify.

In the New Testament, 'living water' or 'water of life' represents the spirit of God, that is, eternal
life. John 4: 1-42 tells the story of Jesus and a Samaritan woman to whom he offers living
water so that she will never thirst again, in other words find eternal life through him. Walk into
the smallest Catholic Church or largest Cathedral in any corner of the world, and the first thing
one does as a Catholic is to bless oneself with Holy Water. After Jesus' resurrection he
commands his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew
28:19-20). All of Christianity intrinsically links water to baptism, a public declaration of faith
and a sign of welcome into the Christian church. The sacrament has its Christian roots in the
Gospel, where it is written that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. In
baptism, water symbolizes purification, the rejection of the original sin.

But baptism goes much further back to the ancient Jewish mikveh, the ritual bath used for
cleansing to restore or maintain a state of purity. In Judaism ritual washing is intended to
restore or maintain a state of ritual purity and its origins can be found in the ancient Torah. In
Judaism and Islam, hand-washing before and after meals isn’t just a good idea, it’s obligatory
within the faiths.
6

All mosques provide a water source for ablution because in Islam, Muslims must be ritually
pure before approaching God in prayer. In Islam ritual purity (called tahara) is required before
carrying out the religious duty of salat (worship).

At Buddhist funerals, water is poured into a bowl placed before the monks and the dead body
and as it overflows monks recite “As the rains fill the rivers and overflow into the ocean, so
likewise may what is given here reach the departed.”
Human existence is about much more than water, but never about less. From birth until death, the
faiths share this recognition in ritual, symbol, and need.
In its 2000 Millennium Declaration, the United Nations set eight goals for development, called the
Millennium Development Goals or MDGs. These goals set an ambitious agenda for improving the
human condition by 2015. One of the key targets is to cut in half the proportion of the population
without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. But here’s the current
assessment:
Water: Much of the world is on track to meet the drinking water target, however much remains to be
done in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. Accelerated development efforts are
going to be needed to bring drinnking water to all rural households; and the all-important sustainable
access to a safe water supply remains a challenge in many parts of the world.
Sanitation: With half the population in developing regions living without sanitation, the 2015 target is
out of reach unless development is dramatically accelerated. Disparities between urban and rural
sanitation coverage remain daunting and improvements in sanitation are bypassing the poor.
Here’s an acronym you need to know: “WASH”
WASH stands for WAter/Sanitation/Hygiene. It’s the world’s religions that can and must make
“WASH” a household word and bring much-needed support to this central problem -- and keystone
solution -- to health, nutrition, poverty, gender equality, even peace.
Religious water is never neutral and passive and no longer can we be. It has powers and capacities to
transform this world, annihilate sins, and create holiness. And so do we. We possess some of the most
powerful collective voices in the world, we have development work in place around the world – and
together we can give life to hundreds of millions of people throughout the world.
The place to start is here at home: through policy advocacy, fundraising in our congregations to
increase development work, engage service learning projects through youth groups where kids help
kids just like themselves around the world, and by educating and supporting faith leaders in developing
countries who can influence everything from prioritizing WASH policy to changing hygiene behavior.
Certainly in today’s age no child should ever die for lack of a clean glass of water and a toilet. From
pulpit and pew, add your voice to increase awareness of this global crisis and support for water
development work. Together the religions have a sacred opportunity to impact hundreds of millions of
lives and be a monumental example of interfaith cooperation at its best.
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No, we don’t honor God by allowing 4500 children to die every day, but together we can accomplish
greatness -- by making water a source of life and health, for all.
Join with Faiths for Safe Water for simple ways to get involved: faithsforsafewater.org
Faiths for Safe Water Inaugural Leadership:
Jack Bemporad, Executive Director, Center for Interreligious Understanding (New Jersey) and
Professor, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Rome)
The Very Reverend Dr. James A. Kowalski, Dean, The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine
(New York)
The Most Reverend Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Armenian Church of America and past president
National Council of Churches (Washington, DC)
Imam Syed Rafiq Naqvi and Mrs. Anjum Naqvi, Chairman, Islamic Information Center (Washington,
DC)
Leila Muhammad, African-American Muslim Church, Church leader and daughter of W.D.
Muhammad (Chicago)
Fr. Dennis McManus, Georgetown University (Washington, DC)
Rinchen Dharlo, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of the Americas and President of the
Tibet Fund (New York)
Faiths for Safe Water
Honoring our Shared Symbol
CONTACT:
Susan Barnett, Co-Founder/Project Director
skbarnett@nyc.rr.com
(212) 989-2956
www.faithsforsafewater.org
8
Lesson #1
Water is Sacred.
Introduction:
As Americans and citizens of developed nations we take water for granted. It is always there at the
turn of a tap and seems endless in its abundance. We abuse it daily through pollution, over-use,
carelessness. Yet, in every religion water is a sacred symbol, representing such beliefs as purification
and eternal life. By understanding its importance not only in our faith but in other religions, and its
significance to maintaining all life on earth, we find ourselves coming to the realization that water is
sacred for everyone. Water is life. If this is true, then why do we as people of faith choose to neglect
the importance of water in our day-to-day living? Why is water so easily abused and what can we do
to show respect to this resource while taking action to share it with others?
Goals:





To understand that water is symbolic in every religion and unites us in many common beliefs.
To learn about water in other religions.
To respect water as a limited resource that is being used faster than it is being replaced.
To understand that our actions have impact: in polluting water protecting it; and in sharing it.
To introduce action through the use of a personal, “Water Agreement. “
Discussion Points: [appear in bold]
What symbolic role does water play in our own faith? How is it used in rituals?
Water has a central place in the practices and beliefs of every religion. Here are just a few examples
of how religions show their respect of water:
 Indigenous People of America
 The Lakota speak of water as, “the life blood.”
 The Shoshone Tribes, “All the water that comes from the Mother Earth,
that’s her blood. It’s the Mother Earth’s Blood.”
 Christianity
 Water is recognized as a symbol for purification, healing and
sanctification. In the Bible, John 4:13-14, Jesus proclaims, Whoever
drinks of the water that I shall give shall never thirst, but the water that
I shall give shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
 Hinduism
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



The sacred texts reveal that everything, all cosmic matter, is sacred.
Thus water itself is a sacred reality. One of the five elements of the
created world: Earth, air, fire water and space.
Judaism
 In the book of Genesis there existed darkness and deep water and God
created the rest of the world from them. The power of God pours forth
from the depths of the earth with waters in the form of springs, streams
and rivers for a thirsty land. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that through
this water “will run a path for them which will be called the sacred
Way.” (Isaiah 35:4, 6-8) Water is sacred because it reflects God’s
creation.
Catholicism
 Water is a part of many Catholic rituals and practices. Upon entering a
church, Catholics dip their fingers into special “holy” water to purify
themselves of the world outside and to prepare for the rituals to come
in the celebration of the mass.
Buddhism
 Water is used in Buddhist funerals. Water is poured into a bowl placed
before the monks and the dead body. As the water is poured and begins
to flow over the edge of the bowl, the monks recite, “As the rains fill the
rivers and overflow into the ocean, so likewise may what is given here
reach the departed.”
Islam
 Before each of the five daily prayers called wudu, people wash their
face with pure water; wash their hands and arms up to the elbows and
their feet up to the ankles. This tradition comes from the Koran 5: 7/8
“O you, who believe, when you prepare for prayer, wash your faces and
your hands to the elbow; rub your head and your feet to the ankles.”
Every mosque has running water for wudu.
After learning about water in our faith and other faiths, discuss what conclusions can be drawn
about the similarities in the way that all religions view water.
Water is a source of life—all life.
o Try to name a living thing on earth that does not need water.
 Stress that it is more than people who need water to live…animals, humans,
reptiles, insects, fish, birds and more.
o Talk about how the human body is made up of water.
 Water is of major importance to all living things; in some organisms, up to 90%
of their body weight comes from water.
 Up to 60% of the human body is water.
 The brain is composed of 70% water.
 The lungs are nearly 90% water.
 Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight.
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



Body fat contains 10% water.
Bone has 22% water.
About 83% of our blood is water.
Each day humans must replace 2.4 liters of water, some through
drinking and the rest taken by the body from the foods eaten.
o Different people have different percentages of their bodies made up of water.
 Babies have the most, being born at about 78%.
 In adult men, about 60% of their bodies are water.
 In adult women, fat makes up more of the body than men, so they have about
55% of their bodies made of water.
o Can anything on earth live without water?
Water is a limited resource.
There is the same amount of water on the earth today as there was in the beginning of time. The
amount of water will never change. What does change is the amount of water available to sustain
human life. Through a discussion on the water cycle we can see that amount of water on earth never
changes and through a simple demonstration we can emphasize the need to take care of our water
because such a small amount is actually available to sustain life.
Fun fact: There is something like 326,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons (326 million trillion gallons) of
water on earth!
Will there ever be more water on earth?
o Discuss the basics of the water cycle.
 The Water Cycle (also known as the hydrologic cycle) is the journey water takes
as it circulates from the land to the sky and back again.
 Water is in a constant cycle -- it evaporates from the ocean, travels through the
air, rains down on the land and then flows back to the ocean.
 Water is the only substance that can take the form of a solid, liquid and gas.
 Solid=Ice, glaciers, snow cap
 Liquid=Water, oceans, rivers, groundwater
 Gas=Water Vapor, clouds
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Activity:
A Visual Experiment
How Much Water Is There?
What percentage of water is available for humans to use on earth? You might consider this to be a
trick question. All water—100% of the water that is on the earth is available for humans and other
living things to use. In reality, very little of the water is available for human consumption.
Consider these facts:
o Of all of the water on earth, only a small amount is available for human consumption.
 97.2% is salt water
 2.8 % is fresh water.
 100%
o Let’s look at the 2.8% of fresh water. (Freshwater is needed to sustain human life as
well as other creatures.)
 2.8% Fresh water.
 -2.2% is captive in glaciers and ice caps.

.6 % is available to sustain life.
Of all of the water in the world, less than 1% (.6%) is available as freshwater to sustain human life.
What does this really look like? Let’s put it to scale.

Materials needed:
 5 gallon bucket filled with 5 gallons of water.
 Measuring spoons: Tablespoon/Teaspoon
 4 clear cups all of equal size
 Label one “Glaciers/Ice Caps”
 Label one “Groundwater”
 Label one “Atmosphere”
 Label one “Rivers and Freshwater Lakes”
 Paper towels

Procedure:
Depending on the size of the group you can do this together or break people into smaller groups.
 The five gallon bucket of water contains 1280 tablespoons of water. This
represents the volume of all water on the earth.
 Have each group remove 35 tablespoons of water from the 5 gallon pail and place
it in the cup labeled “Glaciers/Ice Caps”. This represents the amount of freshwater
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



on the earth. Draw a contrast to that small amount in the one cup compared to the
large amount left in the bucket—representing salt water.
From the Glacier cup, transfer 8 tablespoons to the cup labeled, “Groundwater.”
This represents all of the freshwater that is under the earth’s surface.
Remove approximately one drop of water from the Glacier cup and place it in the
cup called, “Atmosphere.”
Remove approximately two drops of water from the Glacier cup and place it in the
cup labeled, “Lakes and Rivers.”
The water remaining in the “Glacier and Ice Caps” represents the freshwater
contained in glaciers and ice caps.
Discussion:
o Line all of the cups in a row and discuss the amounts in each cup.
 What conclusions can you draw from this exercise?
 There is a lot of water on the earth.
 Most of the freshwater in the world is trapped in the Glaciers and Ice Caps.
 There is very little freshwater available for human consumption.
 With so little water available for consumption, it is important that we use
water wisely and with a renewed sense of responsibility.
We are currently using more freshwater than what is being replaced through the water cycle. Is
there action that I can take to personally protect water?
o Give examples of how people abuse water.
 Agriculture
 Pollution
 Countries without environmental laws
 Industry
 Over use
o Give examples where you have seen water pollution. What causes water pollution?
o Reflect on ways that you personally waste water.
 Long showers
 Running water
 Doing dishes
 Washing cars
 Washing clothes too often. Wear jeans more than once.
o What are some of the things that you can personally do to protect and save water?
 Clean up garbage near a river or lake
 Organize an anti-pollution campaign.
 Turn off water
 Plant trees
 Other ideas
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Lesson #1 Conclusion:
 Water is symbolic, sacred and important to all religions and all people.
 Every living being on earth depends on water for life.
 Water is a precious resource that we must protect for the future.
 As a faithful person who believes in the spiritual and sacred meaning of water as well
as water as a limited resource to sustain all life on earth, then I must live my beliefs,
honor God and take action to respect water and the rights of all to have access to safe
water.
 There are things that everyone can do to limit their water use. Small savings by
individuals add up to big savings when everyone limits their water use. We all need to
take small steps for a big impact.
 There is a limited amount of water on the earth and even less that is available in the
life sustaining form of freshwater. As faithful people, we must practice conservation,
prevent and cleanup polluted water in order to guarantee water for future
generations.
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Lesson #2
Water in My Faith.
Introduction:
Students explore texts, rituals and stories involving water within their faith.
Goal:
Learn in greater depth the role of water in one’s faith and the lessons’ symbolic, ethical and religious
meanings.
Activity:
As students mature, stories take on more sophisticated meaning: Noah’s Ark, the parting of the Red
Sea, Jesus turning water into wine, God creating water long before he created life; Allah creating
every animal from water. The religious texts are filled with stories of water and references to water,
waiting to be explored.
Activity:
Remember: Every faith shares this singular symbol. This is a great interfaith opportunity to explore
water in other religions in greater depth; and meet and even partner with other faiths in supporting
water development work around the world.
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Lesson #3
Water is Life.
Introduction:
Life cannot exist without water. But the tragic truth is almost one billion people do not have access to
safe water and 2.5 billion lack the dignity of basic sanitation.
Goal:
To understand that water impacts every human and every global problem – from health to gender
equality to peace.
Discuss the tough facts:
[These key facts are also covered in the Sermon for Water]










4500 children die every day from diseases caused by the lack of safe water and sanitation
80 percent of all disease is related to a lack of sanitation
At any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from
water-borne diseases
50 percent of that malnutrition is due to a lack of safe water -- 50 percent!
This water crisis is the greatest cause of death of children under 5 -- killing more children than
malaria, AIDS, and TB combined, resulting in a catastrophic 2 million, mostly preventable
deaths, every year.
We fight against malaria but poor sanitation provides vibrant breeding grounds for
mosquitoes
We spend millions in aid to make sure HIV/AIDS patients get the anti-retroviral drugs they
need to sustain life, but already susceptible to disease, they take these drugs with
contaminated water
Water is a woman's burden around the world. Not only can women spend up to 60 percent of
their day walking to collect water, their bodies quite literally break down from hauling the
heavy forty-plus pound water jugs every day, sometimes along desolate and unsafe paths,
Girls are denied education when forced to leave school to help their mothers with this heavy
burden. And when there is no gender appropriate sanitation facilities to take care of their
personal needs, they often drop out of school when they hit puberty
Access to safe water even impacts war and peace: the potential for conflict over water rights,
and more importantly, the potential for negotiated peace.
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Activity:
On the following page you will find “My Personal Commitment to Water.” Ask your students to sign
by all of the point that they agree to including their commitment to take action and help a partner
school. Although there is nothing binding by signing this, it helps people realize that they have made
a commitment to all of the lessons and conclusions that they have learned through their lessons.
Additional activities for all ages:
You will find free videos; additional web resources and a substantive reading list for all ages at
www.h20forlifeschools.org
A few recommendations:
VIDEO:
Rap Star Jay Z is a spokesperson for the UN on the world water crisis. He is taken to several schools
and homes to see the local water issues and is shocked at what he sees… [language note: Jay-Z uses
the word “damn” at one point in the video]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BXavkcvVVU&feature=related
READING:
A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by Linda Sue Park
Newbery Award Winner
A Long Walk to Water is based on the true story of Salva, one of the Sudanese "Lost Boys" airlifted to
the US beginning in the mid 1990s.
This poignant tale describes the life of a young village girl, Nya, and what she encounters as she walks
to fetch water each day in Sudan. Her story is told side-by-side with Salva’s real life escape from war
torn Sudan. Forced to travel on foot through hundreds of miles of hostile land, he survives starvation,
animal attacks, and disease, and ultimately leads a group of about 150 boys to safety in Kenya.
Relocated to upstate New York, Salva resourcefully learns English and continues on to college.
Eventually he returns to his home region in southern Sudan to establish a foundation that installs
deep-water wells in remote villages in dire need of clean water. One of those villages is Nya’s…
H20 For Life has a full curriculum around this book, which can be found at:
http://www.h2oforlifeschools.org/resources/curriculum/h2o-for-life-tool-kit/
FILM:
Millions
By Oscar-winning Director Danny Boyle
Special Selection at the Toronto Film Festival
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Ethics, being human and the soul come to the fore in Millions. Two precocious ‘tweens move with
their father to the suburbs shortly after their mother’s death. Missing his mother and the comforts of
his old neighborhood, the young Damian builds a cardboard-box fort, where one day his placid
introvert existence is literally crushed by a giant gym bag full of thousands of pounds' worth of cash.
Less concerned with the origin of the money than with how to spend it, he and his older brother have
differing views and when Damian’s conscience gets in the way of his spending, he debates the ethics
of his ill-gotten gains with a handful of imaginary saints, and begins to try to spend his cash a little
more altruistically. Then one day a mysterious man appears…
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My Personal Commitment for Water
If you are ready to action and make water a priority in your life, then declare your
beliefs and commitments by signing your name to each of the statements below.
I agree that water is sacred to all people of many different faiths.
There is commonality in our respect for water.
I agree that all living creatures need water to survive.
Water is Life!
I agree that water is a limited resource.
I must take care to assure water is available for future generations.
I agree all people deserve water, sanitation and hygiene education. Water and sanitation is the key
to end illness, increase educational opportunities and to improve life. Water is a human right that
must be provided to every single person in my lifetime!
I am ready to take action! I am ready to make a difference!
www.h2oforlifeschools.org
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Lesson #4
Water in My Life.
Introduction:
Few of us are aware just how extensive a role water has in our daily lives and how much of it we
waste.
Goal:
By becoming aware of their own water usage, students become stewards for the environment,
including water.
How much water do we use?
You may not be surprised to learn that there are differences in the amount of water people use
around the world. But you may be surprised just how BIG those differences are:
Use of water worldwide:
Domestic Water Use
Gallons/Person/Daily
Africa
Egypt
Ghana
Kenya
Morocco
Mozambique
South Africa
Zimbabwe
Country
North & Central America
Canada
10
40
9
13
16
3
44
14
Domestic Water
Use
Gallons/Person Daily
95
209
20
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
United States
23
12
9
9
176
- Peace Corps/Coverdell World Wise Schools
Activity:
Using the Personal Water Usage Tracking Guide on the following page, ask students to participate in
two surveys. For the first one they should go 3 days without changing anything in their lifestyle and
monitor their usage. During the second week they should try to make adjustments for 3 days that will
save water usage. At the end of the two weeks have people evaluate their surveys and draw their
own conclusions as to how much water they can save through easy methods.
o Multiply their weekly gallons saved by 52. What kind of savings occurs over one
year.
o Multiply the saving by the number of people in your congregation/town.
o How much water was saved by everyone in your group?
o What conclusions can you draw by going through this exercise?
o Will this change your future actions surrounding water?
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H2O for Life
Personal Water Usage Tracking Guide
How Much Water Do You Use?
Fill in the number of times you complete the water activities for each day of the week.
Multiply the Total Number of Times by the Estimated Water Used to determine how much water you
use for each of the activities on a weekly basis. Total it all us and see if the results surprise you!
Activity
Washing
face or
hands
Taking a
showerstandard
shower
head
Taking a
showerlow flow
shower
head
Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
Total
Number
of
Times
Est.
Water
Used
Gallons
Total
Weekly
Water
Used
1
50
25
Taking a
bath
40
Brushing
teeth with
22
water
running
2
Brushing
teeth with
water
turned off
Flushing
the toilet
standard
flow
0.25
5
Flushing
the toilet
low flow
1.5
Shaving
2
Cooking a
meal
3
Getting a
drink
0.25
Washing
dishes by
hand
10
Running a
dishwasher
15
Load of
laundry
30
Watering
the lawn
300
Washing
the Car
23
50
Other
Your
Estimate
Other
Your
Estimate
Other
Your
Estimate
Total Weekly Water Used______
Are you surprised about the amount of water that you use?
In Ethiopia, people use an average of 3 gallons per day or 21 gallons per week.
In Mozambique, people use an average of 2 gallons per day or 14 gallons per week.
In Honduras, people use an average of 7 gallons per day or 49 gallons per week.
In the United States, people use an average of 173 gallons per day or 1211 gallons per week.
How does your usage compare? What are your thoughts about the amount of water used in Ethiopia
versus the United States?
What can you do to reduce the amount of water that you use per week?
Are you up for the challenge?
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Activities for the whole congregation:
Get your family and the whole congregation involved! Water is serious business, but it can also be
fun. Here are some simple actions can you take to show your respect for water, raise awareness
about how we use it, and help bring water to people in need by raising money for your faith’s water
projects or your partner school at H2O for Life:
 “Sermon for Water” – create a service around water and consider delivering some version of
our Sermon for Water . Post it on your website, print it in your bulletin, distribute it during an
event, deliver it from the pulpit. Get the word out anyway you can.
 "Drop in the Bucket": Every time a family member uses water, s/he drops a coin in a bucket.
That’s not just a drink of water or a bath, it’s flushing the toilet, cooking, watering plants, even
filling the dog bowl… It's a fun way to raise awareness of just how vital water is to our daily
lives; what it would be like without it; and encourages less waste at home.
 "Tap into Tap Water": Family members give up soda and other sugary drinks and substitute
water for just one week. The money saved goes into a jar. Families learn just how much they
spend on drinks with little nutritional value and lots of calories; and they may even feel
healthier for having drunk water instead that week! [Promotional flyer available at
www.h2oforlifeschools.org]
 "Water Fall": Youth sell paper water droplets for $1/each, which are artfully decorated and
hung together on a wall to create a beautiful water mosaic. A creative, community-building
activity for all ages.
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Lesson #5
Water in Action.
Introduction:
School children need clean drinking water, sanitation facilities and hygiene education to be able to
learn. Yet half the world’s schools lack safe water. More than half lack an adequate latrine. With no
safe way to dispose of human waste, diseases such as typhoid, cholera, schistosomiasis and worm
infections flourish. Kids get sick. They miss school and fall too far behind. Some even die.
H2O for Life supports WASH IN SCHOOLS. Our goal is to help fund WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene
education projects for schools in developing countries by partnering youth in the US with a school
overseas.
WWW.H2OFORLIFESCHOOLS.ORG or 651-756-7577
Helping schools around the world!
Goal:
Change these statistics and save lives of students just like you!






Every 20 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease.
50% of all malnutrition is caused by a lack of safe water and sanitation
Women and girls spend hours each day collecting water.
Without access to a latrine, girls stop attending.
2.5 billion People lack access to adequate sanitation.
1 million deaths (mostly children!) occur yearly due to diarrhea.
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Bringing water to the world….one school at a time.
Here’s how it works:
H2O for Life partners schools, churches, synagogues, youth groups, clubs
and other organizations in the US with schools in developing nations in
need of water, sanitation and hygiene education. The school projects
are identified and facilitated through vetted Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs). Dollars raised for
these water and sanitation projects are
100% matched by the implementing NGO.
“In today’s world
Projects are available in Africa, Asia,
water is something
Indonesia, South and Central America.
more than a source of
life. Deprivation linked
H2O for Life works closely with you to select
to water is a source of
an appropriate partner project in a desired country and school. When
poverty, of inequality,
available, photos of the partner school are sent and once the project is
of social injustice, and
complete, every attempt is made to send a photo of the completed
of great disparities in
project so everyone can recognize and celebrate the lives they’ve
life chances. That
enhanced and maybe even saved -- by providing water, sanitation
deprivation matters
facilities to their partner school.
because water is a
human right –and
none of us should
American students learn about the global water crisis, the importance of
turn a blind eye to the
water in their own lives, and take action to raise funds that bring water
violation of human
and latrines to their partner school. Everyone learns that they can make
rights. Nor should we
a genuine impact in the lives of others by becoming energized global
tolerate a world in
citizens and activists for change.
which over 1 million
children are, in a
perversely literal
sense, dying for a glass
of water and a toilet.”
H2O for Life is here to help you be a part of the
solution!
Kevin Watkins
Director, Human
Development Office
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H20 for Life has all the tools you need:
From helping you set up a bank account to finding the right partner school for you to matching all the
money you raise -- 100%! We have videos, extensive curriculum for different ages, activities,
fundraising ideas, suggested reading, web-based resources and more.
Your project will be a success – just ask the 150,000+ American students just like you who’ve built
over one million dollars worth of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities for school kids just like you!
“It blows my mind to think that I have saved lives. It always seemed like that only happened in books,
or with someone who was famous. Now I can say I’ve saved lives. I took a step.” - Abby, middle school
student, Rockford, Minnesota
“When we grow together as an international team, to end the global water crisis, the planet will
become smaller, cleaner, greener and more peaceful. I am here to encourage all students to join this
cause, for WE have the potential to change the world.” - Emily, High School student, Abington, PA
Activity:







Go to www.h2oforlifeschools.org and look at the list of “Available Schools.”
Select a school and dollar goal from the list.
Contact H2O for Life either by registering on-line or by phone (651-756-7577) or send an email
to Steve at shall@H2Oforlifeschools.org.
A Welcome Kit will be sent to you once you have informed H2O for Life of your school choice.
The kit will include inspirational DVDs, a flag and other resources to inspire others.
Start your fund raising activities – we’ve got 100s of ideas on our website.
Share your photos, stories and successes with us. We’ll post them on our website so other
kids can see what you are doing!
REMEMBER: We are a always just a phone call or email away:
www.h2oforlifeschools.org
651-757-7566
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My Personal H2O for Life Action Plan
I have the knowledge and now I am called to action.
There are many resources for action ideas on the H2O for Life web site. Listed below are some action
ideas. Select any or all that interest you and add in your own ideas!
___________ Take the Personal Water Survey and reduce my water usage.
___________ Get my whole family to participate in Tap In To Tap Water and Drop in a Bucket.
___________ Invite my Facebook friends to follow the H2O for Life Facebook page.
___________ Participate in a Walk for Water and ask for pledges to raise money for my H2O for Life
partner school.
___________ Set up a display at my place of worship to inform other members of the need.
___________ Organize a coin drive or take up a special collection at my house of worship.
___________ Collect a mile, two miles or even five miles of pennies to end the miles walked by girls
and women around the world. [One mile of pennies = 84,480 pennies or $844.80.]
___________ Ask my clergy to deliver “A Sermon for Water” during a service and to dedicate just one
week a year to Water.
___________ March 22 is World Water Day – I will celebrate it each year with activities that raise
awareness.
___________ Other Action Ideas___________________________________________________
___________ Other Action Ideas___________________________________________________
Finally, experience the reward of the work and the commitment that you have made to water.
Select a school from the list on the H2O for Life web site. www.h2oforlifeschools.org.
The name of our partner school is ________________________________.
Our partner school is located in
__________________________________.
Our partner school needs $_______________
education.
for water, sanitation and hygiene
I am personally going to try to raise $______________ for our WASH in Schools partner school.
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Keep in touch – we’ll post your ideas and successes on our
website!
And don’t stop here. Our website is packed with activities and
lessons and more will be available so check back often. Please tell
other students and teachers about your experience so they, too,
can sponsor a partner school project.
Become a life-long water advocate!
H2O for Life
http://www.h2oforlifeschools.org
651-756-7577
Faiths for Safe Water
Honoring our Shared Symbol
www.faithsforsafewater.org
212-989-2956
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