Driven, Passionate, and #GirlStrong: Meet Elizabeth

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Here at WaterAid, we are constantly inspired by our incredible community of supporters, who do so much to support the mission.

To give you a glimpse as to how amazing these supporters are, we want to highlight this month’s star supporter, Elizabeth D.

Elizabeth is just twelve years old, and lives in New York. She learned about WaterAid through a school project and hasn't looked back!
 

Challenged to learn about a global problem, Elizabeth chose to research the global water, sanitation and hygiene crisis.  Elizabeth told her peers of the crisis through a poem that contrasted her life to that of a girl’s who lives without access to water. But the project sparked a passion within Elizabeth that has inspired her to learn more.

 

Some details from Elizabeth's school project

Elizabeth found herself thinking, “we take running water for granted every day and so, I can’t get my head around the fact that some people don’t have the basic necessities.” As a young woman in school herself, she was interested in how the global water crisis affects education – “I never knew that a single toilet would encourage so many more females and children alike to go to school. I also find it alarming that over 800 children a day die from diarrheal diseases. The worst part about all of this is that we can stop it, yet for every year we wait, about 300,000 die.”  

As a #GirlStrong supporter, Elizabeth is driven, passionate, and dedicated to achieving change. After challenging herself to learn more about the global WASH crisis, she began to fundraise and share the cause with family, peers and neighbors. When asked how she approaches fundraising, Elizabeth replied, “I raised money in a simple yet effective way by asking for donations instead of presents at my birthday party.”  

 

Elizabeth isn’t stopping there - “I plan to continue fundraising and my goal is to have raised $1,000 for WaterAid before I am 13.” Elizabeth hopes to ‘jazz-up,’ a school bathroom with perfume, music and quilted toilet paper, and then charge a dollar to use the facilities. Elizabeth says this will help “students appreciate how fortunate we are to have any facilities at all and pointing out how one little change can make a big difference.”  

 

We can't urge enough how supporters like Elizabeth are vital to WaterAid. 

Thank you to Elizabeth, and all of our supporters who generously raise funds, advocate for change, and spread the word about the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene. Elizabeth says it best –

“No matter what you do, you are making a difference... you are creating an impact. You are changing the world.” 

WaterAid supporter Elizabeth, 12

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I wake up in the morning and I have to walk for an hour to get clean water,

When I return I have a headache and the sun hasn't even risen,

It was a 6.4km walk there and another to come back.

 

Wasting Water
I wake up in the morning and walk down the corridor to get a drink from the sink,

When I return I get back into my cushioned bed until morning,

It was less than ten meters there and I didn't break a sweat.


I am only allowed to have a certain amount of water to drink a day,

And I share a bath with my brothers and sisters once a week,

We don't even have a gallon of water per day.

Wasting Water
When I feel like having a shower I take one with delight,

I want a drink so I will get one from my tap,

Why should I worry about water?


There are people trying to help us,

So far over the sea,

They are installing playpumps so water can be pumped for me.

 

Wasting Water
I suppose that I could use less water,

To save it for the people who really need it,

I could support a charity donating wells to the people in Africa.

Wasting Water

The worst part about all of this [the water crisis] is that we can stop it, yet for every year we wait, about 300,000 die.
Elizabeth, fundraiser and supporter

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