Imagine having to walk mile after mile through a vicious jungle environment on bare foot.  No food in your stomach, no snap back or Juicy Couture sun glasses to block the scorching sun from burning the hairs on your arms.  After hours of walking, you finally reach the destination of water.  The water you’re taking back home and about to drink isn’t even fresh and purified.  It’s dirty and contaminated with who knows what, but it’s the only water to quench your thirst.

   Having clean water or water period to drink doesn’t seem like a big deal for people who have permanent access.  However, those who can’t get water everyday have a struggle trying to survive.

   “Water is the number two killer in the entire world, with Aids being number one.  We can’t fix Aids yet, but dirty water is completely preventable,” senior Megan Hotham said.

   U.S. citizens are very blessed unlike people in third world countries.  Many people in the U.S. take things for granted and expect to be given the things they have.  Americans are very wasteful, especially when it comes to food.  We take or buy more food than we need then end up throwing the scraps away.  We sometimes give extra food to the homeless, but that’s not often.  The whole point is that we have more than we need.

   “We are blessed, even the poorest American can get clean water,” Hotham said.

   Hotham went to Haiti with a group she’s involved in at church.  The purpose of this trip was to build as many water filters as possible so people in Haiti can have fresh water to drink.                                                                                         

   Some people may say, “Oh I would go just to say I went somewhere,” or, “It’ll look good on my college résumé.”  When in reality, that’s not what this trip is meant for at all.

   “It makes me feel like a better person, of course.  But that is not why I do it,” Hotham said.

   Going on a trip or even staying home and helping people in the community shouldn’t be done to make you feel good.  It should make you feel good for it to be done.

   “I don’t recommend anyone doing a trip like this to just get a pat on the back.  This is something you do because you have the need on your heart,” Hotham said.

   Giving back to the community and helping others out simply comes from the love placed upon your heart.  Deep inside of every human is a sense of kindness and no matter how hard they try to avoid showing it, it’ll automatically happen.

   “BUT, if you do a trip like this for the right reason, the feeling of personal satisfaction is amazing.  To know that the little baby a mother put on your arms has a chance to live to his next birthday.  He can do that because of what YOU did,” Hotham said.