Clean water: the gift that keeps on giving

As the days count down to (enter respective holiday), it seems everyone is preparing for the impending month of festivities.

Downtown has created a veritable winter wonderland, with The Network laced in snowflakes, Bath and Body Works flashing upside-down Christmas trees and sparkling holiday dresses in the Express display windows.

The cheerful décor is a calculated attempt at putting everyone in the holiday mood, and that means shopping.

After all, snowflakes are hard to come by in San Luis Obispo and holiday parties are rarely worth an $80 dress, not to mention the difficulty of a Douglass Fir growing on the Central Coast . upside down. It’s all for show.

The commercialized holiday traditions effectively create intense pressure on shoppers to find gifts for everyone on their list.

They furiously plan, find deals, wrap and FedEx like madmen until the day arrives – only to receive a coffee mug that says “Don’t Bug Me” with a picture of a caterpillar on it. Re-gift.

“It’s hard to know what people like, so you end up getting them something for the sake of getting them something,” said microbiology freshman Brooke Cates.

Is this really what the holiday season is all about? It could be.

However, with organizations that offer alternative ways to gift-give this season, anyone can support communities that are able to feed a child for a year on the money spent for that Express holiday dress.

Lifewater International is a nonprofit humanitarian effort with a local branch in San Luis Obispo. For almost three decades, they have focused on creating sustainable water systems in Third World communities.

“We call it W.A.S.H, water and sanitation hygiene,” said Sada Andrews, Lifewater community relations manager. “Basically, we focus on developing sustainable development processes.”

The organization resists sending volunteers to simply drill wells and fix hand pumps. They work instead with national organizations in that particular country to create a lasting, community-driven solution to unhealthy water systems.

“We’re working right now with two Ugandan organizations and training them in various W.A.S.H. activities,” Andrews said.

Lifewater is one of many humanitarian programs offering opportunities for alternative giving, explained Lifewater intern Jenny Howell.

“A lot of people wish they could do something more,” Howell said. “But you don’t have to go to Africa and you don’t have to give all your money. You can give something small that is actually reaching people who need it.”

Lifewater has several Christmas gift packages, including a latrine for $25, a Biosand filter for $50 or a village-leader hygiene workshop for $100.

“Instead of buying presents this year, my roommates and I are buying a (Lifewater) gift together,” Howell said. “If it’s not affordable, it’s easy to share the investment with other people.”

Lifewater sends a card to anyone who buys a gift, which states their mission and how the gift will be used. In the case of buying a gift in someone’s name, they will send the card to the recipient if requested.

The organization will also be represented at the Global Villages Bazaar, which features fair-trade merchants and will give further opportunity for sustainable gift-giving. The bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 8 and 9.

“I think everyone is sick of getting and giving things,” Andrews said. “Alternative gift giving allows you to honor someone you love and want to honor for Christmas, but it gives the gift to someone who really needs it.”