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Rwanda's Water Supply Problems
Rwanda's water supply problems are not unique in the world, but the other problems the country faces make the problems critical. They have minimal water resources, and the water quality of the existing water is poor. Clean water is important for life, and Rwanda needs a good supply of clean water to help them be a strong nation.
Countries all over the world have problems with having a proper water supply for their citizens. Rwanda's water supply problems are such that most of its citizens do not have a clean supply of water for them to drink and use for other purposes, including agriculture and bathing. The resulting problems include dehydration and illness. There are groups trying to make the water supply better and more accessible for the citizens, but more work needs to be done to help decrease Rwanda's water supply problems.
How bad are Rwanda's water supply problems? There are approximately nine million people who live in Rwanda, giving it the distinction of being the most densely populated country in Africa. For this number of people, only twenty percent of Rwanda's schools and health centers have access to properly sanitized water. Children and adults spend hours every day carrying water to their homes that is not even clean. The average life expectancy of a Rwandan is 44. This poverty-stricken country has enough problems without adding water supply issues to the list. What has been done to help decrease Rwanda's water supply problems?
A contingent of graduate students and a professor have visited Muramba, Rwanda, to help dig a trench from a clean water source to their city in which to place PVC pipe so that they can get clean, spring water to their homes. This is just one example of how people from the more prosperous countries and Rwanda's own government are trying to increase the supply of clean water. In fact, Rwanda has targeted that clean water should be available to the citizens by the year 2020. This sounds great, but more needs to be done to help make the water supply healthy now, because it is affecting people each and every day.
One of the reasons why Rwanda's water supply problem is so bad is that they have been trying to rebuild the country due to the fighting between the two ethnic groups in the country. This fighting has divided the country, which means that there has been less attention on the problems of its citizens and country. Another reason is the lack of money to put into updating the water purification systems and the lack of information being spread about the water issue problem. By letting more people know about this problem, we are aiding the Rwandan people in finding help for their problem.
Rwandans need help today. They are dying everyday due to problems associated with not having a proper water supply. They need to be properly educated on how to keep water sources as healthy as possible and they need to have options of where to get water that is safe for their families. Yes, it is wonderful that there are changes being made, but each day that people do without clean and safe water means that more people are dying and getting ill. That's just not right.
Rwanda's water supply problems seem to be getting better, but more needs to be done to help ensure that all of the citizens of Rwanda are able to get clean water to use. By spreading information about the plight of the people and supporting organizations or teams financially or physically that are going to Rwanda, we can help make a difference for these people. Isn't that's a war worth fighting.
