Guatemala

Most people don't think about water; they turn on a tap and clean water flows readily. But for more than 1.1 billion people around the world, water is a constant concern. Where will their next drink come from? Will it be clean? Will it last?

Basic human privacy and dignity are lost to 2.6 billion people who have no access to a safe toilet.

Water is a source of life. Without clean water and sanitation people get sick, children miss school: the cycle of poverty is perpetuated indefinitely. Millions die prematurely from water-related diseases. And this crisis will become even more deadly as water scarcity becomes more acute and leads to violent conflicts.

In 2005, UNICEF estimated that more than half the world's schools lacked clean toilets, drinking water, and hygiene lessons for schoolchildren. For girls, this translates into life-long losses in education and economic opportunity.

In her role as Board Member of the Global Water Challenge, Alexandra traveled to Guatemala to help document the challenges of water scarcity in a country where a majority of the people live on less that a dollar a day.

During their travels through the province of Quiche, Alexandra met and spoke with teachers, students, parents, government officials, community leaders, and local NGOs all working to make water and sanitation available to children in the schools with the goal of giving them safer, happier and healthier lives.