Saturday, May 12, 2007
Global Envision Article
Below is a RainCatcher story appearing on globalenvision.org - an initiative of Mercy Corps (Click on LEARN then SUCCESS STORIES then WATER FOR EVERYONE)
SUCCESS STORIES
Water for Everyone
How one individuals' simple discovery, the refreshing taste of pure rainwater, is providing solutions in the developing world.
Date Posted on Global Envision: April 03, 2007
In
observance of UN World Water Day on March 22, I talked with an
individual who has made accessible drinking water and water
conservation his life's work. Jack Rose, the "RainCatcher" has been helping catch rainwater for use in African villages since 2004.
The rainwater experiment began in Kauai in the late 1990's. Rose, a native of Southern California, was inspired during an El Niño
winter that dumped constant rain on the island. That's where Jack first
began drinking rainwater and, a couple years later, the rainy coastline
of Mendocino, California became the "laboratory, from which theRainCatcher projects in Africa were born."
Since
that fated time, Mr. Rose has made it a habit to collect and drink
rainwater in his everyday life. He invokes the image of a crazed
scientist, drinking from a stainless steel cup as the rain falls. He
applied this passion for rainwater collection to his career, where he
designs homes in Southern California. Inspired by simple,
cost-effective design ideals, Jack began drafting and modeling
rainwater collection tanks for home use and landscaping.
Imagine the image of a crazed scientist, drinking from a stainless steel cup as the rain falls.
In
2004, Mr. Rose was invited to accompany a project called "Water for
Children Africa" to Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. He saw the dire
need for drinking water across the areas he visited and found simple
solutions could create extraordinary gains. He used his experience
collecting rainwater at home to set up a rudimentary system in the
villages that he visited usingRainCatcher tents and natural drainage areas. "Maji Ni Maisha
", a Swahili expression for "Water is Life" came to encapsulate Jack's
experience in Africa and reflect the dire importance of water access in
many African villages.
As the RainCatcher vision formed, Jack Rose began a partnership with Kenyan Fred Mango and a company called Kentainers,
which produces water storage tanks for distribution in Africa. They are
now installing their containers at schools across Kenya.
The schools
provide an excellent location for the water tanks. They are generally
at the center of villages and represent a source of pride for many
villagers. Teachers, students and parents are the administrators of the
water system once it is installed and are responsible for the security
and maintenance of the container and distribution of the water. A
complete system consists of a water tank, rain gutters, and a filter.
Each system can be installed in one day and one truckload, carrying
five tanks, can provide rain collection systems for five schools.
For Jack Rose, the RainCatcher
methodology is a simple solution to one of the world's most urgent
problems: "there are many problems in the world that seem unsolvable …
this isn't one of them." The materials necessary to install five
villages with rainwater collection systems cost approximately $4500,
including filters. The filters used are made by the Swiss CompanyKatadyn
and cost around $250 each. The filters are an added expense; rainwater
does not require filtration, but it can filter out contaminants
collected from dust or rooftop surfaces. Additionally, if filters are
installed in the rainwater collection devices, the system can also
provide a source of clean water during the dry season. After the
collected rainfall has been consumed, water from traditional sources
like nearby streams and creeks can be filtered through the tank and
cleaned for human consumption.
"There are many problems in the world that seem unsolvable … this isn't one of them."
It is the RainCatcher's
hope that the next generation across the globe will embrace the earth's
natural abundance of water and use it more efficiently to eradicate the
water problems of today. The biggest obstacle to this task is
awareness. The plight of over one billion people without access to
clean water doesn't receive the attention that is urgently needed to
address the situation. Despite efforts by the United Nations and World
Water Day activities, the frustration of unequal water distribution
remains the fundamental concern for the developing world. In this
struggle, Jack Rose describes himself as the world's waiter, declaring:
"We
are told that we should drink 8 glasses of water a day. Whenever you go
to a restaurant, or sit down for a meal, there is a glass of water
brought to the table. At humanity's table, however, each day we are 8
billion glasses short, I am simply a waiter carrying as many glasses as
I can."
Individuals like Jack Rose are the catalysts of
change. He is planning several projects which will help continue his
work in Africa and raise awareness about the possibilities of rain
collection in both developing and developed countries. One such project
is "Water for Everyone," a film documentary which will tell theRainCatcher story and convey the power of simple solutions globally.
You can read more about RainCatcher projects at RainCatcher.org.
Contributed
by Lindsay Benson, Project Intern at Global Envision. Lindsay has a MA
in International Political Economy from American University and her
research focus is in global food policy.
SUCCESS STORIES
Water for Everyone
How one individuals' simple discovery, the refreshing taste of pure rainwater, is providing solutions in the developing world.
Date Posted on Global Envision: April 03, 2007
In
observance of UN World Water Day on March 22, I talked with an
individual who has made accessible drinking water and water
conservation his life's work. Jack Rose, the "RainCatcher" has been helping catch rainwater for use in African villages since 2004.
The rainwater experiment began in Kauai in the late 1990's. Rose, a native of Southern California, was inspired during an El Niño
winter that dumped constant rain on the island. That's where Jack first
began drinking rainwater and, a couple years later, the rainy coastline
of Mendocino, California became the "laboratory, from which theRainCatcher projects in Africa were born."
Since
that fated time, Mr. Rose has made it a habit to collect and drink
rainwater in his everyday life. He invokes the image of a crazed
scientist, drinking from a stainless steel cup as the rain falls. He
applied this passion for rainwater collection to his career, where he
designs homes in Southern California. Inspired by simple,
cost-effective design ideals, Jack began drafting and modeling
rainwater collection tanks for home use and landscaping.
Imagine the image of a crazed scientist, drinking from a stainless steel cup as the rain falls.
In
2004, Mr. Rose was invited to accompany a project called "Water for
Children Africa" to Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. He saw the dire
need for drinking water across the areas he visited and found simple
solutions could create extraordinary gains. He used his experience
collecting rainwater at home to set up a rudimentary system in the
villages that he visited usingRainCatcher tents and natural drainage areas. "Maji Ni Maisha
", a Swahili expression for "Water is Life" came to encapsulate Jack's
experience in Africa and reflect the dire importance of water access in
many African villages.
As the RainCatcher vision formed, Jack Rose began a partnership with Kenyan Fred Mango and a company called Kentainers,
which produces water storage tanks for distribution in Africa. They are
now installing their containers at schools across Kenya.
The schools
provide an excellent location for the water tanks. They are generally
at the center of villages and represent a source of pride for many
villagers. Teachers, students and parents are the administrators of the
water system once it is installed and are responsible for the security
and maintenance of the container and distribution of the water. A
complete system consists of a water tank, rain gutters, and a filter.
Each system can be installed in one day and one truckload, carrying
five tanks, can provide rain collection systems for five schools.
For Jack Rose, the RainCatcher
methodology is a simple solution to one of the world's most urgent
problems: "there are many problems in the world that seem unsolvable …
this isn't one of them." The materials necessary to install five
villages with rainwater collection systems cost approximately $4500,
including filters. The filters used are made by the Swiss CompanyKatadyn
and cost around $250 each. The filters are an added expense; rainwater
does not require filtration, but it can filter out contaminants
collected from dust or rooftop surfaces. Additionally, if filters are
installed in the rainwater collection devices, the system can also
provide a source of clean water during the dry season. After the
collected rainfall has been consumed, water from traditional sources
like nearby streams and creeks can be filtered through the tank and
cleaned for human consumption.
"There are many problems in the world that seem unsolvable … this isn't one of them."
It is the RainCatcher's
hope that the next generation across the globe will embrace the earth's
natural abundance of water and use it more efficiently to eradicate the
water problems of today. The biggest obstacle to this task is
awareness. The plight of over one billion people without access to
clean water doesn't receive the attention that is urgently needed to
address the situation. Despite efforts by the United Nations and World
Water Day activities, the frustration of unequal water distribution
remains the fundamental concern for the developing world. In this
struggle, Jack Rose describes himself as the world's waiter, declaring:
"We
are told that we should drink 8 glasses of water a day. Whenever you go
to a restaurant, or sit down for a meal, there is a glass of water
brought to the table. At humanity's table, however, each day we are 8
billion glasses short, I am simply a waiter carrying as many glasses as
I can."
Individuals like Jack Rose are the catalysts of
change. He is planning several projects which will help continue his
work in Africa and raise awareness about the possibilities of rain
collection in both developing and developed countries. One such project
is "Water for Everyone," a film documentary which will tell theRainCatcher story and convey the power of simple solutions globally.
You can read more about RainCatcher projects at RainCatcher.org.
Contributed
by Lindsay Benson, Project Intern at Global Envision. Lindsay has a MA
in International Political Economy from American University and her
research focus is in global food policy.
