Reflection

Reflection

Regardless of your country, race, or wealth, water connects to all of us. Unfortunately, according to WHO, 3 out of 10 people worldwide lack access to clean, safe water, and many of whom are the indigenous, poor, or people of color. After learning about the sad reality of water crisis, how unequal access to water also implies poor sanitation, which can even lead to COVID-19 vulnerability, I was compelled to raise my voice. In my piece, I juxtapose those in water poverty, as shown by women in Africa traveling their way to fetch water, to the privileged who can easily drink clean water at home through a water dispenser. The water tank in the center is a representation of the water body, showing that despite living on the same Earth, the quality of water available to people can greatly differ. Through the Ocean Awareness Contest, I got a chance to reflect on my attitude toward water, questioning if I have been so blinded by my privilege that I have forgotten about the gravity of this water issue. The fact that some travel miles just for a sip of water due to lack of infrastructure is devastating and unjust. As much as water is critical to life, water must not be a privilege, but a basic human right. We must fight for this right.