82
Smile
May2016
THEWATER
BEARERS
FORTHELASTSIXYEARS,COURIERSFORTHENON-
PROFITWAVESFORWATER INITIATIVEHAVEBEEN
DELIVERINGCLEAN-WATERSOLUTIONSWHERETHEY’RE
NEEDEDTHEMOST—DISASTERZONESANDREMOTE
TOWNSACROSSSOUTH-EASTASIA.BYCELINEREYES
Givingback
I
n2009, JonRose, thenaprofessional surfer,
traveled to Indonesia toride thewaveswith
friends.He’dbroughtalongasurfboard, of
course, buthealsohad10portablewater
filters.Theplanwas tohoparound thenearby islands
anddistribute thesefilters insmall communities
wherecleandrinkingwaterwas inshort supply.The
constantquest for thatperfectwaveoften tookhim to
someof themost remotecornersof theglobe,where
poor townswithhardlyanypotablewaterproved
astarkcontrast to therawbeautyof the landscape
around them. Jon’s fatheroncedevelopedapractical
wayofcatchingrainwater inAfrica, then taught the
localshow todo it themselves—and theyoungJon
learnt fromhim that sometimes, asimplesolution is
all it takes toeaseadiresituation.Thefilterswould
behiswayofgivingback to the towns insomeofhis
favoritesurf spots.
PHOTOBY
ETHANLOVELL
