This Year Give Water, the Gift of Life [] Caminos de Agua

Published December 10, 2021

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The Holidays are a time of family, reunion, and joyfulness for many. I hope that after a very difficult couple of years, you are able to reconnect with your loved ones and enjoy this season. This is, however, a very difficult time for some of us whose access to safe drinking water is lacking, unfortunately the reality that increasingly affects far too many people in our own community, our region, and throughout greater Mexico. We know there are many worthy causes to support as you may be contemplating your year-end giving. This year, we hope you consider adding Caminos de Agua to your list to help improve health and community wellbeing by creating a life-sustaining supply of safe drinking water for those in need.

As you might be aware, our aquifer, the Upper Rio Laja, where we receive almost all of our water here in the northern part of the State of Guanajuato, is being severely overexploited. This is exposing people to a series of extremely dangerous health effects. Dental and skeletal fluorosis (teeth turning brown and bones become brittle and deformed) are irreversible and chronic health conditions that are increasingly impacting more and more people throughout our region. Skin lesions, learning and cognitive impairments in children, chronic kidney disease, and several types of cancer are just some of the other threats that many face. These health effects are the result of drinking “fossilised” water that is contaminated with arsenic and fluoride, two naturally-occurring chemicals that exist at incredible depths – hundreds of meters deep – in our aquifer, where we now must drill to extract our water.

This year, more than any other year in our history, we’ve had amazing opportunities to collaborate with so many communities, families, and individuals who have been able to transform their reality for the better through the construction of new rainwater harvesting systems and other water solutions. For many, this is the first time they’ve had safe drinking water for years, or maybe their entire lives. The joy we’ve witnessed is truly indescribable in words. Partnering with these communities to expand their access to clean, safe water has meant giving them back control of their health.

On this occasion, I want to share with you the story of La Cazuela, a rural community located approximately   an hour’s drive north of San Miguel de Allende, and the joyfulness our supporters, like you, have helped create through their contributions in constructing rainwater harvesting systems for  families.