I woke this morning and like most, I used the restroom, took a shower, and brushed my teeth as the start of my day. And like every day, I did it without acknowledging the importance of that clean water to my sheer existence. I’m guessing this scenario sounds familiar to you. But what if it was different?

It is early morning, and you wake to a dry, breath-taking heat. With sweat beginning to bead on your forehead, you know temperatures will break 100 degrees by mid-day.  You need to get up and start your first walk for water for the day. You’ll need to make the trip four or five times today, and the heat will not make the miles easy. With your calloused hands, you grab your water buckets and your children, and your journey for water begins.

This is not your story. But it is the story of the women of the Sahel region of West Africa. Their mornings do not start with clean water and sanitation methods.

But with our help, they could.

September Campaign 2014 – The Sahel Region from charity: water on Vimeo.

We’ve teamed up with charity:water to help bring clean water to this region and save lives. In parts of our world like the Sahel Region, clean water means children do not have to suffer from dysentery and die from water-related diseases. It means women can create jobs and stimulate the economy. It means life.

So the next time you wash your hands or have a drink of clean water today, remember the luxury it is and those who live without. Join us to save lives and change the world.

Photo Credit: charity:water