Clean water.
We often take it for granted. We casually leave the tap on while we’re brushing our teeth. We use the washing machine on a half load of laundry. We stand in the shower for longer than needed because it’s “therapeutic” – don’t even lie. But that’s us, living in a community that’s provided with safe, clean water because we’re lucky enough to call our home a well-developed country.
Have you thought about people who aren’t as fortunate as us though? FRANK Water has.
FRANK Water saves lives through funding innovative and sustainable clean water projects in developing countries where clean water is hard to come by. Imagine that.
Clean water.
Hard to come by.
These words are something we’re accustomed to.
Through these projects, communities are provided with safe, clean water by the technology to employ ultra violet and reserve osmosis technology to filter water and remove diseases causing both chemical and biological contaminants. To date, FRANK Water has funded 70 projects reaching over 400,000 people.
Most of India’s water sources are contaminated by sewage and agricultural waste. According to Water.org, more than 128 million people in India lack safe drinking water, resulting in an estimated 21% of communicable diseases. The numbers and statistics are staggering!
Now, through a visual arts-focused fundraising venture, a new annual charity initiative named “Lend a Hand” (LAH) aims to make a difference. Comprising a visual arts-focused fundraising venture, LAH was initiated by photographer Mark Teo, producer-director Joe Peter, and (the only Malaysian enlisted) photographer Geh Chee Minh. The trio will spend more than two weeks in India (from 6th September to 22nd September), taking on “The Rickshaw Run”.
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Note: The Rickshaw Run has whipped up a mountain of charity cash over the years – the current total stands at just shy of £1 million. Teams on the Rickshaw Run are asked to try and raise a minimum of £1000 for charity. Over the years this has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in some of the poorest parts of India. All the money raised goes directly to the charities so everyone know exactly where their donations go.
It sounds easy but Teo, Peter, and Geh’s journey is but a holiday. They will be plagued with various potential dangers considering the fact that they are set to navigate across 3,500 kilometers of grueling Indian landscapes in, yup, a rickshaw.
The 145cc auto-rickshaw should take them from the highlands of Shillong in the East, to the desert plains of Jaisalmer in the West. Along the way, they will be passing through Varanasi, the oldest city in the world, and Agra, home to the Taj Mahal.
But those are not their tasks alone – while in India, the trio will need to capture still portraits and landscapes, as well as motion time lapses. After which, the visuals will be produced and displayed at the “Lend a Hand Exhibition” in early January 2013 and auctioned off.
All proceeds will go directly to LAH’s adopted charity, none other than FRANK Water.
