World Development Information Day, which was on October 24, is a day created by the United Nations General Assembly. Their goal was to create a day to raise awareness, particularly among young people, of the problems of still developing countries around the world. The goal is that the growth of awareness would then promote “efforts in the sphere of international cooperation for development.”
The development of a country can be defined through aspects such as economic growth, education rates, gender parity, health services, and many others. As I reflect upon this day, I realize that I have a very different perspective on the magnitude of the topic this year.
This past March I had the opportunity to visit Morocco, Africa during my semester of studying abroad in Spain. Morocco is a developing country and although it has been going through a rising economic shift, many aspects still fall short for it to be a first-world country. My experience traveling to Morocco will be a trip that will always be at the top of my list. The vibrant culture, the wonderful teas that I tasted and the beautiful souks that took my breath away. But what made it an impactful trip for me was the raw realization of the vastly disproportionate resources available in Morocco compared to the ones in my life in Spain, only a ferry ride away.
The most prominent aspect that made me come to this realization was that the tap water in the cities that I visited in Morocco, as a tourist, was unsafe to drink. Everywhere I went I had to buy sealed water bottles. I had to brush my teeth with a water bottle. I was also unable to eat any uncooked foods such as lettuce because of the chance of it being washed with tap water. I even had to make sure my mouth was closed while I showered to reduce my chances of getting sick from accidentally consuming the water. Until my experience traveling to Morocco, I never fully realized the magnitude of having accessible potable water. Especially growing up in the U.S., potable water is a resource that I believe can sometimes be forgotten about when we live our normal busy lives. Most Americans have access to clean water in hallways of school buildings and even in the kitchens of homes so that our foods and dishes can be washed properly. Although locals in Morocco have adapted to the quality of the tap water here, and their bodies have learned to fight certain bacteria present in the tap water, imagine waking up in the morning, and turning on the faucet to brush your teeth with fear that there is still a possibility that you might become ill.
This trip to Morocco allowed me to better understand the importance of awareness of disparities throughout the globe. More importantly, how distinguishably different countries’ resources can be even from a short ferry ride away. My eyes were opened, not because I did not know that Morocco in certain areas does not have access to potable water, but because for the few short days that I visited, I was able to experience just a very small bit of this huge problem. So in light of World Development Information Day, I thought I should share this small experience that has created a large yearning for me to gather more information and become more aware of the problems occurring in developing countries around the world.
All Photos Courtesy of the Author