It is lunchtime here in Uttar Pradesh, and the students are thrilled about it. Founder of NGO HEEALS, Gaurav Kashyap, reminds us all of the importance of washing our hands before we eat. So we walk to the hand pump. Students lather their hands with soap, and rinse, and all seems well, until I see them starting to drink from it. My instincts tell me to stop them- I know the water isn’t clean. And then I remember that I am not at home anymore, and that sadly enough, this is the case in many rural communities in India. My name is Jayde Lavoie. I am a twenty-year old Canadian intern, working at HEEALS for my summer CO-OP term with the University of Ottawa. I come from a country which is home to 7% of the global supply of renewable fresh water; [1] What juxtaposition now, for me, to be surrounded by communities where access to clean drinking water is a real, serious concern. A lack of clean drinking water can lead to a plethora of diseases, including (but not limited to): ch...
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