As a Clinton Global Initiative member, we have committed to tackling the world's clean water crisis in partnership with Water.org through crowd-sourcing innovative ideas and solutions from the world's best and brightest students.
Water.org is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to providing safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries. Co-founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org has transformed thousand of communities in Latin America, Africa, and Asia by providing access to safe water and sanitation.
Today's water crisis is not an issue of scarcity, but of access. One billion people, nearly one-in-eight of the world's population, do not have access to a clean supply of water. Staggeringly, more people in the world own cell phones than have access to a toilet. And as cities and slums grow at increasing rates, the situation worsens. Every day, lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills thousands, leaving others with a reduced quality of life.
Water.org has a track record of successfully using innovation to help achieve its goals. Its WaterCredit initiative applies the principles of microfinance to the water and sanitation sector. By making small loans to individuals and communities in developing countries who do not have access to traditional credit markets, WaterCredit empowers people to address their own water needs. The repaid loans go back into a revolving fund, and are then re-loaned to the next individual or community.
The 2011 Hult Global Case Challenge will be themed around innovations in clean water supply. Today I am feeling excited to start this blog with the cause. The cause is for a better world and best future which beholds for us tomorrow. We have friends, families, and kids living in countries such as Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and other places who are deprived of clean drinking water. An average american throws 15 cans of clean water as a waste while an average Ethiopian walks for 3 hours to get 1 can of water, wasting time and energy.
I am inviting as many students and as many business schools to participate in this Global Case Challenge, to find a practical solution for the mankind. We as leaders of tomorrow and managers of societies can bring that change and hope among people who need your help.
