Ava is among our amazing group of youth board graduates; her compassion, intellect, and delightful personality continue to make the world a better place.

Ava is currently studying International Affairs on the East Coast while remaining engaged with the work of Water1st. In 2016, she spent a week observing our Bangladesh partner’s work (DSK) in the urban slums of Dhaka. She returned to Dhaka in December 2017 to translate for us as we visited project sites with Water1st supporters.

In May, Ava will return to Seattle to inspire our teens as a featured speaker at the first-ever Teen Global Water Summit hosted by Water1st. We are honored to work alongside Ava and our many teen advocates who are impacting the global water crisis in a really big way.

Q: Your family is from Bangladesh. How has living in Dhaka impacted you?
A: Living in Bangladesh was the sole reason for me to get so involved in International Relations and human rights. Extreme poverty is something that does exist in the US, but it is quite hidden. For me, seeing the vast difference between America and Bangladesh helped me put into perspective just how important global issues are. Had I not lived in Bangladesh, I might have gone my entire life unintentionally turning a blind eye to poverty since I would not have come into direct contact with it.

Another thing that impacted me was thinking to myself how I could’ve easily been one of those young girls begging on the street. The mentality of “That could’ve been me” keeps me motivated to work for these children.

Q: How did you get involved with Water1st?
A: I was inspired by the work of Water1st especially because of their work in Bangladesh regarding the water crisis. Living there for part of my life opened my eyes to extreme poverty. I would regularly see girls carrying water on their heads traveling for miles instead of going to school. Ever since witnessing that, I had always wanted to work on this issue so when I found out about Water1st, I was immediately interested.

Q: What was your experience being on the High School Board?
A: I absolutely loved being a part of the High School Board. Not only did I learn about the extent of the global water crisis, but I met other high school students who were just as passionate about this crisis as me. These students had so much tenacity and motivation and it inspired me to keep working harder.

Q: How did you get involved with Water1st & DSK in Bangladesh?
A: I decided to travel to Bangladesh on my own and got connected with DSK through Water1st in 2016. I was able to talk to many local people who were directly affected by Water1st and DSK projects. The following year in 2017, I joined the Water1st team on their Bangladesh water tour. Meeting people and having face-to-face interactions with these local leaders who advance the work of Water1st and DSK is truly inspiring and their work teaches you how even developing countries have successful people.

Q: Why are you passionate about water in particular?
A: Water is something we take for granted in the Western World because it’s so easily accessible and available that we don’t have to think twice about it. However, seeing girls carry containers of water on their heads walking for miles just so they can take a shower is something we don’t see in developed countries. For me, realizing this incredible difference with my life and the life of a girl in Bangladesh is what makes me so passionate about this issue. It’s simply unfair that I get to access such a basic necessity so easily, when a girl exactly my age has to struggle so much.

Q: What do you find most compelling about Water1st?/What is it about the Water1st approach that is interesting?
A: What makes Water1st so incredible is not only its transparency in its work, but also the specialty of a small and amazing team of caring and kind leaders who inspire people to get involved. Water1st takes the time to nurture and evolve with the local organization in the countries they work in. While a donation may go a long way to benefit these organizations to further their work, Water1st takes the next step by annually visiting these organizations to stay consistently updated on the progress and share insight on further advancements. These visits are not only a grand gesture of appreciation, but they keep the local organizations motivated to keep working because they know Water1st will always have their back.