Who would you say are the most vulnerable people in the world?
Children? Women?
Guess who typically holds the responsibility for walking miles daily to fetch water when there is no source available?
Children and women.
When our cycling team shares about how clean water helps communities become more educated, we talk about how children can go to school instead of having to spend their days walking to and from a water source. Women are also free to earn income or take care of their homes.
But a few nights ago, I was looking at my schedule for our upcoming rides and was struck with a thought that terrified me to the core.
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I’ve sparsely mentioned on my blog that I was sexually abused by a pastor when I was in high school. As I went over our route, I realized something.
On this trip, I would be within miles from where the person who abused me is living.
Knowing this instantly caused me anxiety. What if I saw him at a gas station or a grocery store? How would I react? Flashbacks from years past rushed back. I felt like a vulnerable sixteen year old again.
It’s interesting how Blood:Water Mission and this particular part of my past have woven their stories together. I didn’t expect that discovering my proximity to my abuser would have such an impact on the way I thought about clean water, women, and children.
I mean, if I was a vulnerable, lower-middle class sixteen year old girl in America…what happens to vulnerable children without the protection I had?
So, I researched.
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It didn’t take long to discover how women and children seeking a simple place to use the restroom are often targets of sexual crime. I found this right away on the UN’s website:
1.3 billion (NOTE: BILLION!!!) women and girls in developing countries are doing without access to private, safe and sanitary toilets. In some cultural settings where basic sanitation is lacking, women and girls have to rise before dawn, making their way in the darkness to fields, railroad tracks and roadsides to defecate in the open, knowing they may risk rape or other violence in the process.
That doesn’t include the risks women and children who go alone to find clean water source may face, either. The World Health Organization says that many women are forced to have sex in order to receive clean water. Certain men will claim territory over areas of water and use that “power” over the women and children who need that water in order to survive.
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Even though I haven’t been able to ride every single mile on this trip, it was my goal to get a century (100 miles) ride in and Thursday, July 8, is my last chance since it’s the last century ride on the trip.
At first, attempting it was more of a personal accomplishment. I’ve ridden 80 miles before — why not finally ride the milestone of a century? But after all of these random bits and pieces from my own story and the tragic statistics from millions of others, I decided to change the focus of that ride.
I’m riding this century for the women and children who have lost had taken away from them their innocence, their hope, their sense of who they are for the unjust reason of not having clean water or a private place to use the restroom.
And I’m going to make an ask of you.
Would you help sponsor me for this ride? We raised over $5200 on my 30th birthday that went directly to Blood:Water mission and I’m going to ask you to donate again.
Can you pledge to donate $1 for every mile I ride on Thursday? Or even $0.25 for every mile? Even $.01 for every mile will give an African clean water for an entire year — every penny counts. Every penny goes to Blood:Water Mission.
The route has us going 104 miles from Little Rock, AR to Forrest City, AR, and I’ll take a before and after picture of my cycling computer and post it as soon as I have internet again so you can see how many miles I finished.
The lack of access to clean water is such a solvable problem, penny by penny. And with clean water, maybe we can help prevent innocent women and children from being taken advantage of by allowing them to stay in safe places.
Because nobody — nobody — should have to have such a beautiful part of their life stolen from them just so they can survive and provide for their families.
If you can pledge, please leave a comment and I’ll let you know how it goes as soon as I can. Or, if you’d like to simply make a donation, you can click here.
Comments
19 responses to “Sex for Clean Water?”
Anne- Thank you for this blogpost. I was very aware of the clean water issue – but this is the first I had heard or had thought of the issues of women and children being taken advantage of while attempting to get water.
Thank you for raising awareness and for all you are doing loving God and others.
Anne, I will pledge $0.25 per mile – $26 no matter how many miles you ride. But I am pulling for you to get in that century ride. You and the entire team will be in my thoughts and prayers all day tomorrow. Love ya, Mom J.
I’m not sure I can ever turn on a faucet again without thinking about this. I can’t give much, but I’ll give $.25 for every mile you ride tomorrow.
Bless you
Anne: I will pledge .50 for every mile. I am totally planning on the whole shebang. I believe in you.
.-= Bill (cycleguy)´s last blog ..Giving God Permission =-.
Anne, Quantter (our new startup) wants to have as many people and groups start initiative like yours.
Quantter (at the moment means my own pocket;) will pledge $2 for every mile you ride on the biggest day of your great great journey.
The only condition is you write a tweet with “#bikexMiles #quantter” in it.
and for anybody else retweeting that tweet another $0.5/RT.
#bikexmiles or #bike:xMiles. This is how “quantts” work.
(the Quantter hashtag is to encourage other to do the same = quantt). (Quantts are open format).
Quantter’s job is to publicize people’s quantts and try to find sponsors for their quantts which change the world 1mile/1swim/1cigaretteless etc. at a time.
Congratulations and admiration for what you do!
We are with you: Quantt us in!
Denis
This hits close to home… I’ve given for your ride, but you’ve inspired me to give again.
Thank you, Anne, for the awareness you’ve brought us. Like someone just mentioned, I may never use the running water in my home again without having this in mind.
.-= JD´s last blog ..Honduras- Day Three Part II =-.
Pledging a $1.00 a mile! You Rock Girl! I agree with Kelli – turning on that faucet is something we so take for granted! I was just reading an article reminding me to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to help with weight loss and health. How easy is that for me to do and my water is clean!!!! So humbled!
Anne,
I love what you are about. Riding across the country is something I would love to do, but it won’t be anytime soon with three little ones in tow (that would be quite a ride if it was a literal statement!) But you are inspiring to me and I am living vicariously through your actions. I pledge .50 a mile, and happy to do the little I can to help with this travesty of our time.
.-= Nicole Unice´s last blog ..What’s Up Wednesdays- Conversation Smokescreens =-.
Hey Anne,
I will pledge $1.00 per mile AND I’ll be praying for you today. I have the team members names taped to my computer and pray for ya’ll as a group daily. I’ve been enjoying your bloggs and am amazed that as a young adult Christian you have such a passion for Christ and that you are using the gifts and abilities that He gave you to further His Kingdom here on earth!
God Bless you as you ride today! I pray God’s angels protect you and that God keeps His hand on your heart, that it will beat NORMALLY and this will bring glory to His name!!!
In His Love,
Julie Ridgway
… thanks for your courage in sharing with us that you were just miles from where your abuser is living. No longer vulnerable and frightened, you are now strong (and that picture is worth a thousand words!) and courageous.
From that long ago place of vulnerability and the emotional, spiritual, and physical strength of who you are today, you are making an incredible impact …
What a testimony of what God can do …
.-= Linda Stoll´s last blog ..Its Time for a Sexual Detox =-.
It is just so hurtful to hear about this kind (or any kind) of abuse of women and children.
Please tell me how I can make a donation from Ireland
The other
Ann Jackson
Your blog so often breaks my heart. Thank you. I need the constant reminders to be obedient to what God has called me to do. Thanks for reminding me today that not only can we make a difference, but we must– in the name of Jesus. We are making a donation for those 104 miles today.
Anne – I can’t do much, but I will give $.50 for every mile you ride. Praying for your ride!!
$1.25 per mile.
Love you!
.-= Crystal Renaud´s last blog ..15-Day Identity Challenge =-.
Hope this only appears once. (If more, sorry. Had problems while typing.)
It had never occurred to any of the 4 of us that women or children could be abused while doing something so simple and necessary for life.
But it’s amazing how God teaches each of us different things about the ways our “neighbors” need help, and has us share with each other so more of that help can happen. We’re thankful for the ways God’s taught you, and for how clearly you’ve shared.
We unexpectedly learned about many of our “neighbors” when I, my wife, and our two teenaged children were “homeless” (living in a tent trailer) for six years, and met hundreds of other families in the same situation.
At that time most of the families we met had lost their homes for one of three reasons: (1) government budget cuts resulting in widespread layoffs (that was us); sickness, combined with lack of enough health insurance, and (3) divorce.
We pray for you daily – including your health.
Anne,
Thank you so much for the information you gave on this post and your courage for biking on this stretch! I had no idea that these atrocities are happening to women as they seek out water for their families. I can donate .50 a mile and will definitely be praying for you and the other bicyclists.
I just read yesterday and tweeted a story that BBC published about the slums of Kenya how the women are afraid to go out at night to use the communal toilets because they’re afraid they’ll be raped. It breaks my heart this happens.
.-= Prudence´s last blog ..You-Create – Butterfly Pendant Card =-.
I just had to comment that I too was molested by a Church member as a teenager, in our Church. My abuser lives 1300+ miles from me, and I still have panic attacks when I attend Church (not as often in Churches I feel “safer” in because of frequent attendance but I visited a friend’s Church on Sunday and got hit hard). I am feeling less alone in my experience through your blog, and through reading Wes Stafford’s Biography. My prayers are with you, and THANK YOU for sharing something so painful with us.