March 19th marks the start of World Water Week and this year CMU UNICEF is in the process of partaking in the Tap Project. The premise of Tap Project is, for the week of March 19, participating restaurants ask patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually receive for free. All funds would support UNICEF’s efforts to “bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world,” said CMU UNICEF’s president, Haylie Kim.
As the Tap Project’s official slogan says, “When you take water, give water.” And that’s exactly what the Tap Project aims for us to do. Though we often take water for granted in our lives, Kim reports that the lack of clean water is the #2 killer of children dying from preventable causes. From this project, CMU UNICEF hopes to help students be more aware of the importance of water and support UNICEF’s mission to bring water to children in Togo, Vietnam, Mauritania and Cameroon.
The Tap Project began in New York City in 2007, where many restaurants in the city participate. By contrast, in Pittsburgh there was almost zero participation from restaurants in the area. CMU UNICEF hopes to change that by bringing the Tap Project to Pittsburgh. Since its start in 2007, the Tap Project has raised over $3 million in the United States, bringing clean water to millions of children around the world.
According to the UNICEF’s site, “the UNICEF Tap Project has become a dynamic movement that affords everyone the opportunity to help provide the world’s children with safe, clean water.” The $1 donation restaurant goers are asked to make with their meal can do so much good, it’s amazing: for example, $1 can provide 40 children safe and clean water for a day.
“The Tap Project is a great way to build connections between the CMU community, the Pittsburgh community, and the global community,” said CMU UNICEF’s secretary Grace Pan. Though the project is far from burdensome for restaurant patrons and is free for restaurants to participate in, it can drastically change the lives of children in areas with little or no access to safe drinking water.
Students can support the Tap Project by stopping by the CMU UNICEF tables this week and pledging to go to the restaurants (one is Taza 21 in Squirrel Hill!) that are partaking in the project. By participating in the Tap Project students both donate money to the cause and raise awareness about the lack of clean and safe water around the world.
For more information on the Tap Project, visit www.tapproject.org/.