Every day, we take a clean drop of H2O for granted. We stand and think about outrageous things for way too long in a hot shower and buy plastic bottles of the “world’s best water”. Americans use 100 gallons of water per day– the highest in the world. The safeness of our drinking water isn’t something that people in developed countries have to worry about. It is a guarantee.

In other countries, people aren’t so lucky. An estimated 2.1 billion people around the world live without a safe water source, which affects their health, education and livelihoods. Women in Africa have to hike miles upon miles to bring home water that isn’t even clean to their families, just so their children don’t have to die of dehydration.

World Water Day just passed by on March 22, where individuals and organizations shine a light on the importance of water as it relates to nature and human health.

So what? You ask. I am just a high school student in southern New Hampshire. I’m miles away from Africa. Why should I care about those people?

We live in a positive-sum world, meaning that there are more gains than there are losses. In this world that we live in, it is in your, yes your, self-interest for everyone to succeed. The better off other people are, the better off you will be.

Let me give you an example. A woman currently living in Africa spends her day, dawn until dusk, hiking back and forth to bring home water for her and her family. However, let’s take an alternate timeline.

Say a pump was placed in her village that provided safe drinking water when she was younger. She would spend her days attending school, would do better in school and may go on to further education. With more children like her, there would be more entrepreneurs, business leaders, doctors, scientists and politicians. All these people are going on the make the world that all of us live in a better place.

Lives everywhere can be drastically changed by clean water.

I’m moved, you sniffle as you dab your eyes with a tissue. How do I make a difference?

There are many, many charities you can support just by the click of your computer mouse in which provide clean water. Here are just a few:

Generosity.org: With the money donated, this program helps underdeveloped countries by partnering with local officials. They form a water committee, start construction on water pumps, teach hygiene and sanitation and publish their reports.

Pure Water for the World: While partnering with local communities, Pure Water for the World gives clean water to people in Central America and the Caribbean.

Water for Good: Water for Good provides clean water to the Central African Republic using deep well drilling, service visits and rehabilitating wells. Their goal is to end water poverty in the CAR by 2030.

Water is a powerful force. Not only does it shape the land we live on, but it shapes people’s futures. By giving access to clean drinking water, you are sculpting a positive future for people who couldn’t have one otherwise.