The Water Crisis, 33 Buckets, & Art-4-Agua

It’s no secret that water is vital to a prosperous life, yet nearly one in ten people do not have access to clean, safe water¹. The global water crisis is one of the greatest challenges that we face in our modern day, affecting health and quality of life across the world. This crisis takes many different forms. In some communities, women and children walk for hours a day to retrieve water from a reliable source. In others, community members have no choice but to knowingly drink contaminated water. And in others, water is rationed to an extreme extent, causing disputes within a community in addition to the physiological strain of lacking basic needs. There is clearly no one-size-fits-all solution to the global water crisis as a whole. So how do we approach this complex issue of accessing our fundamental need for clean water? At 33 Buckets, we aim to empower communities at the local level through the transfer of essential skills/knowledge and the collaboration of public, private, and nonprofit organizations.

In Peru, access to clean water is severely limited depending on where you live. Of the 2 million people without access to improved water in Peru², the vast majority are living in rural areas. In fact, just 9% of people in rural areas have consistent access to clean water compared to 85% of individuals living in urban areas³. While vast technological improvements have been made in large municipal water management systems, rural communities seem to be overlooked. Low-cost, energy-independent solutions that anyone can learn how to use simply are not reaching those who need them. In fact, some recent studies suggest that the percentage of households with access to clean water is actually decreasing for the poorest households of Peru while increasing for the wealthiest³. There remains a gap in available technologies and the people who could benefit most.

For the past 6 years, the 33 Buckets Team has spent countless hours forming relationships and fostering collaborations to improve quality of life in the Cusco region of Peru. Because of our strong local relationships, we’ve been able to work with over 15 communities in the region, which are home to over 6,000 people. We’ve emphasized human-centered design by developing relationships with each community. We are diligent in ensuring our understanding of the communities’ needs and desires matches reality. By directly listening to each communities’ water management team, we can work together to propose a solution that is effective and accepted by all community members. By working directly with school leaders, we provide an interactive experience for students to learn about water, sanitation, and hygiene and its role in their future. Through these collaborations, we’ve created improved access to clean water and sanitation while fostering a culture that truly understands and values the importance of water in our collective future.

As 33 Buckets prepares for another year, we are planning what is next. Since we became a nonprofit organization in 2017, we’ve been empowered to do this work by supporters just like you. We’ve converted your donations, no matter how big or small, into highly impactful experiences for our partner communities, local organizations, our student team members, and many many more. We are a small team of young individuals, students, volunteers, and professionals working to be a part of the solution to the global water crisis.

Eager to support? Fantastic! Our biggest fundraising event of the year, Art-4-Agua 2022, is next month. We’ve set a fundraising goal of $10,000 which you can contribute to here or in the donation window below. Art-4-Agua 2022 will take place at the Shalimar Golf Club in Tempe, AZ on Sunday, December 11th. The event will include an incredible selection of silent auction items from high quality artists here in the US and in Peru. Keep scrolling to get a sneak peak! We’ll see you there! Buy your tickets here or using the 'Book' button below.