Charity: Water Is Pioneering The Future Of Fundraising—And Fighting The Women’s Crisis You Didn’t Know Existed

Ten-year-old Grace walks miles under the scorching sun, her shoulders straining under the weight of a jerrycan almost half as heavy as she is. The water she’s collecting is visibly contaminated—murky and teeming with bacteria. It’s likely making them sick, but her family has no alternative. This is her reality for hours each day, 365 days a year—time that should be spent in school is consumed by this grueling task, essential for her family's survival.

As I remove the VR headset at charity: water's Experience Lab in Franklin, Tennessee, the contrast is jarring. My reality includes clean water at the turn of a faucet. Hers includes a daily choice between getting an education and staying alive. She is one of 703 million people worldwide who still lack access to clean, safe drinking water—a crisis that impacts nearly one in ten people on the planet. The immersive experience leaves me with a question I can't shake: What can I do about this?