Traveling to Honduras was the most amazing experience I have ever had, and our walk for water with the community of Azacualpa Centro was the most impactful day. This was the day I met Jaime. The walk for water was so difficult, between the heat, high altitude, and constant slipping on the dry steep slope, I thought I could fall at any moment. Jaime walked fast. She was just five years old and made this walk every single day, multiple times. She would speed right by me and then turn around to wait for me, not because she had to, but because she wanted to talk with me. We talked about our favorite animals, hers being little chicks and mine being pigs. When we finally arrived at the water source, it was visibly dirty and very small, so everyone had to wait their turn to get water. Not only did women and girls spend time walking, but they also spent time waiting. When it was my turn to collect water, I just felt a change in my whole heart, mind, and energy. It really hit me that this is how they spend every single day—walking, waiting, and collecting water that wasn’t even clean. This moment gave me a totally new perspective and made it so clear that advocating for Water1st directly impacts the lives of real people. During our time in Honduras, we also visited communities that had completed water projects. I noticed that kids in these communities looked a little brighter, happier and were glowing. They were wearing uniforms so I knew that they were also attending school. My experience walking with Jaime in Azacualpa Centro really taught me the impact that clean water can have on real people. And now I’m extra motivated to make sure that every household in her community will receive the funding to have a kitchen tap, toilet, and shower by the end of our Carry5 Walk for Water. I hope that my experience gives you a little more insight into the amazing work that you are funding. And if you ever get to travel with Water1st to one of their project countries, I recommend you carry a journal so that you, too, can remember all of the small, yet very special details. Thank you for donating to Jaime’s community!

Bridget Day, 2019 Global Fellow