Water As Luxury - Bringing Clean Drinking Water to Central Africa

chaity: water founder Scott Harrison presents his story at LuxuryLab's 2009 Innovation Forum. This program was recorded on November 6, 2009.

charity: water on the web: http://www.charitywater.org

LuxuryLab presents its first-ever INNOVATION FORUM, an unprecedented event addressing the rapidly changing luxury marketplace.

Held at TheTimesCenter, the forum brought together thought leaders to share never-seen-before research, trends, best practices, and a passion for ideas. - LuxuryLab

Scott Harrison spent 10 years as a New York City party promoter, throwing fashion and music events at top nightclubs for the likes of MTV, VH1, ABC TV, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Universal Records, Island Records, Bacardi, and Anheuser-Busch. In the fall of 2004, disgusted with the selfish and indulgent life he led, he returned to his childhood Christian faith and left nightlife to volunteer with a team of humanitarian doctors and surgeons onboard a hospital ship in Liberia, Africa. Armed with a pair of Nikons, Harrison spent eight months as the ship's volunteer photojournalist, documenting the incredible need he saw there.

Returning home to New York City a year later, he produced a large exhibition in Chelsea of more than 100 photographs and videos from the journey. The show gathered major media attention and brought in more than $96,000 in donations for medical procedures and freshwater well projects in Africa.

Following another six-month journey on the ship to West Africa, he returned to New York City to found the non-profit organization charity: water. Turning his full attention to the global water crisis and the 1.1 billion people without clean water to drink, he and a small team created exhibitions in galleries and outdoor parks, online campaigns, and nationally-aired public service announcements.

In three years, with the help of more than 60,000 donors from 200 countries and 300+ media mentions, charity: water has raised not only massive awareness, but more than $10 million, funding more than 1,400 water projects in 16 developing nations. Those projects will provide over 700,000 people with clean, safe drinking water.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• activist
• activism
• clean
• drinking
• water
• health
• healthy
• medical
• africa
• africans
• children
• poverty
• poor
• disease
• sub
• saharan
• environment
• giving
• charity
• fora.tv
• foratv
• fora
• tv

[georgeburns80]

We all have a little of Scott Harrison in us, so let's join hinm in stopping the unnecessary sickness and deaths.

[RadicalAwesomeness]

Africa related stories always make me a sad Panda.

[fsawaya]

I think that's not the best solution, the best one you can find in the Slingshot machine video. Look 4 it on youtube!

[greg357159]

Greatest issue facing the poor are their governments and ignorance. Too many problems from poor decision making... no laws and men & women are like dogs.. breeding in the streets without guilt. Funding these issues are senseless. The "trouble with Tribbles" they would die out if left alone....

[starchild669]

AMAZING!!!!

[tri400]

@manufactur3d

because these African people speak English or French

[AlchemistsTable]

or we can raise them up to our level.

it would not be that hard given that the colonization of africa by the westerners (europe) has directly led to the inequalities and sociopolitical messes that fuel the poverty.

enough blame, tho. i do not blame the children for the people who controlled their parents. i just want the children to get clean water.

or we can acknowledge the fact that we'd rather let fellow humans die horrible deaths.

[AlchemistsTable]

because Europe and America keep Africa divided and poor. look what colonization did to africa...did it do any good? No.

if africa had but a fraction of the wealth that it was being robbed for, then it could possibly afford drills to put wells in.

can YOU drill a well without thousands of dollars? no, you cannot. you depend on someone else to do it for you. YOU are just as weak as they are...except YOU do not realize you live in the same slavery they do...you just cant see it.

[diomedes39]

Why is it that Europe, Asia, and the Americas were able to figure out clean water, but Africa, the continent that held people the longest, STILL hasn't got it.

[manufactur3d]

If I were thirsty, I'd dig a well. If I were starving I'd grow crops or raise livestock. These people don't seem willing or able to do either on their own. Maybe the western world is partially to blame for keeping things status quo, which is why I say we cut them off completely.

[AlchemistsTable]

because their leaders have been bought and corrupted to keep Africa a divided, war-torn continent for hundreds of years. the people who control the western world do not want a united africa, a healthy africa, or an educated africa, or they would be able to control all their own natural resources and make us pay the real price for mining and exploiting the riches of africa.

did you pave and install your road and utilities? no, you're not industrious enough.

your government paid for it.