Meet the Blog Team Taylor Harper's Blog Taylor Harper
Taylor Harper (3)
Taylor is an attorney in Atlanta, Georgia. Between trips to the courtroom, he spends his time reading, hiking, and fishing. A few years ago, Taylor spent four months volunteering in Nairobi. The visit left him awestruck from the generosity of the Kenyan people; inspired by their determination; and, more than anything, content with a sense of real hope, not just for Kenya, but for the world over.
I took a year off from school in between graduating from my undergraduate program and commencing law school. I had always wanted to travel, to experience another culture, and to help others, for I have lived and continue to live a very blessed life, indeed. I met with Kevin Corcoran, the president of Maji Mazuri USA, to discuss the projects in Nairobi. Over the course of an hour, Kevin told me all about Maji Mazuri. I was enthralled. Two months later, I found myself on a plane to Nairobi for a four month stay in Kenya.
My time in Kenya was life-altering. Accordingly, upon my return to the US, I simply had to share my experiences with others. I began speaking at various events and with church groups in an effort to raise awareness and funds. Recently, I was asked to serve on the board of Maji Mazuri, USA. It is an honor and privilege to work with an organization like Maji Mazuri, but even more so with the people who comprise it.
A crimson hue melted across the western sky as the cool, crisp evening breeze grazed the back of my neck. Graciously, I moved a little closer to the fire. Martha, the school cook, was preparing the evening meal for the students of the Upper Matasia School. A young girl approached me and asked if I and another volunteer would join her and her friends in a singing session. Despite the fact that my singing is quite displeasing to anyone who can hear, I joined the group.
Sitting in a patch of soft grass, we sang various songs as the sun dipped below the horizon. As the other volunteer strummed the guitar, an ease enveloped me. That ease was quickly stripped away when the young girl who had so kindly asked me to join the group, requested that I sing a solo. My first reaction was, of course, to decline. But as I looked around at the group their eyes reflected confusion; they did not understand why I did not want to sing. My fear of embarrassment was foreign to them. The idea that they would judge me based upon how I sing never entered their minds. I will never forget that moment, a moment in which three young Kenyans reminded me of the type of person I want to be, and in doing so, inspired me to sing. So I sang. It was not a beautiful sound, yet it was most definitely a beautiful experience. As I finished, everyone clapped, and then it was the next persons turn.
Ultimately, life is too short and too precious to be encumbered by regret and fear. In each fleeting moment an opportunity is present; a chance to see the bright side, to seize upon the hope that dwells in every instance of despair or fear; but, more than anything, an opportunity to have faith - faith in God, faith in people, and faith in yourself. There is no security on earth, only opportunity; and, in the end, the only ones who fail are those who do not try. A young Kenyan girl with a kind heart and her three friends taught me that wonderful lesson.
Beyond scarcity: power, poverty and the global water crisis
Throughout history water has confronted humanity with some of its greatest challenges. Water is a source of life and a natural resource that sustains our environments and supports livelihoods – but it is also a source of risk and vulnerability. In the early 21st Century, prospects for human development are threatened by a deepening global water crisis. Debunking the myth that the crisis is the result of scarcity, this report argues poverty, power and inequality are at the heart of the problem.
In a world of unprecedented wealth, almost 2 million children die each year for want of a glass of clean water and adequate sanitation. Millions of women and young girls are forced to spend hours collecting and carrying water, restricting their opportunities and their choices. And water-borne infectious diseases are holding back poverty reduction and economic growth in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Beyond the household, competition for water as a productive resource is intensifying. Symptoms of that competition include the collapse of water-based ecological systems, declining river flows and large-scale groundwater depletion. Conflicts over water are intensifying within countries, with the rural poor losing out. The potential for tensions between countries is also growing, though there are large potential human development gains from increased cooperation.
The Human Development Report continues to frame debates on some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity. Human Development Report 2006:
▪ Investigates the underlying causes and consequences of a crisis that leaves 1.2 billion people without access to safe water and 2.6 billion without access to sanitation
▪ Argues for a concerted drive to achieve water and sanitation for all through national strategies and a global plan of action
▪ Examines the social and economic forces that are driving water shortages and marginalizing the poor in agriculture
▪ Looks at the scope for international cooperation to resolve cross-border tensions in water management
▪ Includes special contributions from Gordon Brown and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President Lula, President Carter, and the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
