Discussion Guide for

“Water
Slideshow”
A F T E R V IE W IN G “ WAT ER SLIDESHO W,” use this guide to research issues related
to clean water, reflect on how the video impacted you, recall what you learned, respond in
tangible ways, reach out with life-changing help, resolve to follow God’s Word, and rely on His
goodness and power.

Research
» 8 8 4 M IL L ION PEO PLE WO R LDWIDE lack access to safe water. More than 2.5
billion people worldwide lack basic sanitation facilities.

» INA DE Q UAT E A C C ESS T O SA FE WAT ER and sanitation services, coupled

with poor hygiene practices, kills and sickens thousands of children every day, and
leads to impoverishment and diminished opportunities for thousands more.

» O N E C HIL D DIES EV ERY 7 because of water or weaning food contaminated

by lethal doses of viruses, parasites, and bacteria. More than half of these deaths could
be prevented with access to clean water for drinking and soap for hand washing.

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» L A C K O F C LEA N WAT ER causes millions of people in developing countries to
suffer needlessly and constantly from diseases such as diarrhea and parasitic infections.
This compromises the immune systems of entire communities, but has the most impact
on children younger than 5.

» WAT E R BO R NE A ND WAT ER -R ELAT ED DISEA SES worsen the already

debilitating effects of malnutrition, and seriously impede the physical and mental
development of these young children—sometimes permanently. When opportunistic
infections coincide with malnutrition and weakened immune systems, the result is all
too often tragic and needless death.

» W H E R E A CLEA N WAT ER SO UR C E is unavailable to a community, it is less likely

that schools will be built there, or that properly trained teachers will move to the
community, even if a school and teacher’s quarters have been provided to attract them.

» GIR L S A N D WO MEN A R E T HE “WAT ER HA ULER S” of the developing world.

On average, women and girls in developing countries walk nearly four miles a day,
carrying five gallons of water, to supply the family needs for water for drinking,
cooking, washing, irrigating crops, and watering livestock. This enormous task
greatly reduces the time available for other productive work such as household tasks,
gardening, or engaging in income-generating activities. The time taken to collect water
has a significant negative impact on girls’ education—girls may miss classes or arrive
at school exhausted because they have already spent hours walking to collect water for
their family’s daily needs.

(The above statistics are from: UNICEF: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)

Reflect
» INC L UDE D IN T HIS DISC USSIO N GUIDE is a Personal Water Use chart detailing
the number of gallons of water used for typical daily activities, such as taking a shower
or washing dishes. Have each person fill out the chart based on their individual water
use. As a group, how much water are you using every day? How much of that amount
do you think is wasteful?

» Also included is a chart detailing domestic water use by country. Compare daily
domestic water use around the world. How would you explain the differences?

» HO W H AV E Y O UR T HO UGHT S about water and water use changed after

watching the film and completing the water chart activity?
PA G E 2 O F 8
Recall
» W H Y IS C L EA N WAT ER vital for community development and transformation?

» W IT HIN T H E FA MILY, the responsibility of gathering water usually falls on

women. How does this responsibility impact their daily lives and ability to contribute
to the community? How would access to clean water through a new well empower
women to be agents of change in their community?

» W H E N W O R LD V ISIO N HELPS a community build a well, water-piping systems,

and other resources for improved sanitation and water purification, the community
provides the labor and World Vision the expertise. Community members are involved
in development from the beginning, when they decide which projects to undertake,
until World Vision leaves and community members assume responsibility for
maintaining the projects. Why do you think it is important for the community to be
involved in every step of development?

Respond
» HO W C A N YO U A S A N INDIV IDUA L and as a group decrease the amount of
water you use on a daily basis? How might your decision to consume less help others
and the environment?

» Y O U S AW IN T HE V IDEO how a well not only brings clean water to a community

but also starts a chain reaction of improvements in crops, livestock, and all other areas
of life. What first step could you take in your community or another community to
bring about positive change and meet the needs of the poor and disadvantaged?

Reach Out
Consider making a difference in the following ways:

» B E C O M E E D UC AT ED A B O UT C LEA N WAT ER ISSUES. Go to

www.worldvisionresources.com to preview our ever growing educational resources.

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» S P O N S O R A C HILD T HR O UGH WO R LD V ISIO N. For just about a dollar a day,
you’ll provide your sponsored child with access to critical basics such as clean water,
improved nutrition, healthcare, and education. Your gifts will help make a world
of difference for one child and his or her family and community as they continue
development efforts. You may also choose to sponsor a child in an AIDS-affected
nation. For sponsorship information, visit www.worldvisionresources.com. Then click
on the “sponsor a child” icon.

» B E C O M E A N A DV O C AT E. Sign petitions and participate in events to encourage

your legislators and communities to prioritize the provision of access to clean water for
children. Visit www.worldvisionresources.com and click on “programs and events” for
more information.

» DO NAT E IT EMS FR O M T HE WO R LD V ISIO N GIFT C ATA LO G to help

communities with development projects that will benefit their children for generations
to come. Gifts include items such as wells, contributions to water and sanitation funds,
trees, goats, mother and child health care, small business loans, school fees, even
bicycles to help children get to school. Visit www.worldvisionresources.com and click
on “programs and events” for more information.

Resolve
» “He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs.”
— PS ALM 107: 35

» “Let them give thanks to the Lord … for He satisfies the thirsty.”
— PS ALM 107: 8, 9A

» “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with
thirst, but I the LORD will answer them.”
— I S AI AH 41: 17- 18

» “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground…”
— I S AI AH 44: 3

» “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my
disciple, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
— M ATTH EW 10: 42
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Rely
Pray that:

» F UNDING A ND O T HER R ESO UR C ES necessary to complete clean water projects

will be readily available. Pray also that communities will find ways to ensure their
water supply is well maintained and managed.

» GO D W O ULD C O NT INUE using community leaders to educate people about safe

water, health, hygiene, and sanitation in order to minimize disease caused by unsafe
water.

» GO V E R NM ENT LEA DER S, humanitarian organizations, and policymakers will be

strengthened in their efforts to improve access to clean water around the globe.

» W E W IL L B E C O NSC IO US of how we use natural resources (including water) as

well as our material resources so that our actions benefit each other and the
environment.

The Scripture in this resource is from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©
1973, 1978,1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

During the preparation of this resource, all citations, facts, figures, Internet URLs, and other cited information were
verified for accuracy. World Vision Resources has made every attempt to reference current and valid sources, but we
cannot guarantee the content of any source and we are not responsible for any changes that may have occurred since
our verification. If you find an error in, or have a question or concern about, any of the information or sources listed
within, please contact World Vision Resources.

Copyright © 2010 World Vision, Inc., Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716,
wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.

PA G E 5 O F 8
HANDOUT 1

Personal Water Use Chart

ACTIVITY A. B. C. D. E.
Average Number Estimated Total Daily Class Estimates Ranking of Water
of Times Activity Amount of Water Use of Daily Water Use Activities
Is Done Per Day Water Used Use (from Column C)

Taking a 10-minute 50 gallons

shower (19/minute)
(standard shower head)

Taking a 10-minute 23 gallons

shower (9/minute)
(low-flow shower head)

Taking a bath 39 gallons

Brushing teeth
2 gallons
(water running)

Flushing the toilet

3 gallons
(standard-flow toilet)

Flushing the toilet

1.9 gallons
(low-flow toilet)

Washing dishes by hand 10 gallons

Running a dishwasher 12 gallons

Doing a load of laundry 31 gallons

Watering the lawn 300 gallons

Washing a car 50 gallons

TOTAL Daily Water Use by Household Member

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 by World Vision Inc. PA G E 6 O F 8

HANDOUT 2

Domestic Water Use by Country

CONTINENT/COUNTRY Domestic Water Use

(gallons per day per person)

AFRICA 17
Egypt 53
Ethiopia 3
Mozambique 2
South Africa 44

EUROPE 71
Albania 91
United Kingdom 30

NORTH AMERICA 137

Canada 208
United States 173

CENTRAL AMERICA 87
Costa Rica 145
Honduras 7

SOUTH AMERICA 75
Peru 43
Venezuela 101

ASIA 31
Azerbaijan 77
Bangladesh 11
China 16

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 by World Vision Inc. PA G E 7 O F 8

 About World Vision
W O R L D V IS IO N is a Christian humanitarian organization
dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities
worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of
poverty and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, World
Vision serves alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of
God’s unconditional love for all people. We see a world where each
child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we
know this can be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty
and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World Vision is unique:
We bring 60 years of experience in three key areas needed to help
children and families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development,
and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across many areas of
expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for
children’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Partnering with World Vision provides tangible ways to honor

God and put faith into action. By working, we can make a lasting
difference in the lives of children and families who are struggling to
overcome poverty. To find out more about how you can help, visit
www.worldvision.org.

About World Vision Resources

E NDING GL O B A L PO V ERT Y and injustice begins with education:
understanding the magnitude and causes of poverty, its impact on
human dignity, and our connection to those in need around the world.

World Vision Resources is the publishing ministry of World Vision.

World Vision Resources educates Christians about global poverty,
inspires them to respond, and equips them with innovative resources
to make a difference in the world.

For more information about our

resources, contact:
World Vision Resources
Mail Stop 321
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, WA 98063-9716
Fax: 253-815-3340
wvresources@worldvision.org
www.worldvisionresources.com

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