When most people think of water, they might simply think about turning on the faucet or buying a case at the local store. Taking a bath is as simple as walking into a bathroom and getting things done. But what about parts of the world where no clean water is available?
One of the people doing things to change the lives of those less fortunate and to bring awareness to the issue is Paul E. Wisdom Jr. He and his church are hosting the Annual Walk 4 Water in Lafayette.
鈥淭his is our third year doing this,鈥 said Wisdom. 鈥淲e partner with a nonprofit organization out of Nashville called Healing Hands International. Different churches, schools and organizations host these walks in order to raise awareness to the water crisis in our world. It also helps to raise funds to be able to drill wells in villages in countries that do not have access to clean water.鈥
Wisdom said the four-mile walk is intended to mirror the average distance it takes for women and children to collect water.
鈥淥n average, the women and children in these villages have to walk 3.7 miles to get to a water source,鈥 said Wisdom. 鈥淭he water sources that most of them are going to are surface water sources. This means they are often contaminated by animals and other contaminates.鈥
He said these contaminated water sources often lead to people getting sick and can lead to them dying.
鈥淗ealing Hands started the Walk 4 Water program back in 2007,鈥 said Wisdom. 鈥淔rom 2007-15, they were the ones doing the hosting. Every year in Nashville, they would hold these walks, I believe, at Nashville Shores. Anybody that wanted to participate was welcome to do so.鈥
Wisdom hopes to spread awareness in Macon County and raise money for drilling another well for a village in need.
鈥淎nyone that shows up to walk gets a free T-shirt,鈥 said Wisdom. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just trying to raise as much as we can for these people in need. With our walk, our goal is to raise $7,500. We have sponsored two wells, and we really want to do that again this year.鈥
Wisdom says community involvement is key.
鈥淭his year, I want to get our community involved,鈥 said Wisdom. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want this to just be a Lafayette Church of Christ event, but an event for the entire community to come together for a human cause. The way I see it is this is a way for the community to come together despite whatever differences we may have, and be the hands and feet of Jesus.鈥
Anyone interested in pre-registering to walk on Saturday, Aug. 10 may do so by visiting .
Registration in person begins at the Key Park Pavilion 208 Church St., Lafayette at 9 a.m., and the event gets underway at 9:30 a.m.
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