A T E A C H E R ' S G U I D E T O

Transcription

1 A T E A C H E R ' S G U I D E T O

2 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE This guide is intended to provide a brief social and scientific background on the issues covered in the film, as well as real-world context through examples of news coverage, websites and resources from sources other than the film. The film guide also includes links to specific curriculum content, sorted by grade, to help integrate the film into a valuable learning experience for both students and teachers. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A Teacher s Guide to: Return to Ryan's Well Writer: Erica Richard Research Assistant: Morgane Nkouenjin Thanks to Katii Capern and Stephanie Magnanelli No use of this publication may be used for resale or for any other commercial purposes whatsoever without prior permission in writing from Planet in Focus. For more information, please contact: info@planetinfocus.org Planet in Focus Generously supported by:

3 INTRODUCTION ABOUT PLANET IN FOCUS Planet in Focus is Canada s leading not-for-profit environmental media arts organization. Now in our 18th year, our mandate is to produce cultural events that showcase engaging and artistic films that question, explore, and tell stories about the world in which we live. We use film as a catalyst for public awareness, discussion and engagement on a broad range of environmental issues. Our goal is to enlighten, engage and entertain audiences of all backgrounds. We do this through the production of an annual environmental film festival in Toronto, as well as touring programs to schools and communities across Canada, and filmmaking workshops for teachers and youth. THE FILM: RETURN TO RYAN'S WELL Ryan was 6 years old when he heard people were dying without clean water. The rest is history. In 14 years the Ryan s Well Foundation has built over 1,000 wells and sanitation projects helping hundreds of thousands of people get access to clean water. Ryan s compassionate act has moved millions of people to take action. "Little people can do big jobs. You don t have to be a grown up before people will listen to you. In this documentary, Ryan returns to the site of his first well in Uganda to see the impact of his actions. THE FILMMAKER: LALITA KRISHNA Lalita Krishna is a multiple award winning filmmaker whose work has been broadcast in Canada on all major networks, and featured at film festivals around the world. An early adopter of new platforms for storytelling, Lalita produces games, apps and websites which complement and enhance the documentary viewing experience. She brings community involvement and user engagement strategies to the projects she develops and produces. Her projects have been acclaimed for their unique approach to building audiences.

4 C U R R I C U L U M 5 COURSE/ STRAND SCIENCE CURRICULUM LINKS Long-term social and environmental impacts of the use of natural resources like water How to reduce those impacts G R A D E SCIENCE Interactions in the Environment SCIENCE Water Systems SCIENCE D. Earth & Space Science: Climate Change The effects of balance-changing events (e.g. draining rivers) within an ecosystem The impacts of added technologies like water wells to rural regions Identifying biotic and abiotic elements in an ecosystem, and the interactions between them The impacts of technological innovations like drinking wells on local water systems Current and potential effects of climate change on communities around the world The effectiveness of initiatives that attempt to address climate change on local levels G R A D E 1 1 SVN3M B. Scientific Solutions to Contemporary Environmental Challenges C. Human Health & the Environment CGD3M B. Natural & Human Systems C. Sustainability & Stewardship D. Regional & International Interactions Social implications of improving access to clean drinking water Water scarcity as a major environmental challenge and its known causes and effects Why rural communities are more vulnerable to environmental factors How grassroots movements can improve local health Effectiveness of programs aimed at improving local quality of life The role of NGOs like Ryan's Well in the region The various factors affecting economic development in rural regions G R A D E 1 2 CGW4U B. Spatial Organization: Relationships & Disparities E. Social Change & Quality of Life CGU4M C. Sustainability & Stewardship of Natural Resources CGU4M B. Spatial Organization: Regional Similarities & Differences C. Sustainability & Stewardship E. Changing Societies The relationships between the region's distribution of natural resources and its quality of life Issues relating to the rights of women and children Effectiveness of NGOs in addressing women and children's rights The relationships between the availability of resources and the changing needs of human populations Viability of developing these resources in particular locations The environmental, economic and social implications of unequal distribution of resources Opportunities for personal stewardship through sustainability initiatives The factors contributing to poverty and an assessment of programs (like Ryan's Well) which aim to address poverty

5 THE ISSUES WATER IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Access to clean and reliable water has been a long-time priority for governments and human rights organizations, especially those working in developing countries. Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa especially are faced with multiple issues challenging public health [1]. Surface water is often highly polluted and water distribution infrastructure is expensive to install and maintain [1]. Groundwater is widely considered the best option as a water supply, particularly for rural Africa [1]. As a reliable water source during times of drought, groundwater is naturally protected from most bacterial contaminations that make drinking surface water unsuitable [1]. Tapping groundwater is limited by the effort needed to locate sources and the high cost associated with drilling and maintaining wells [1]. Source: Ryan's Well Foundation WATER AROUND THE WORLD 1 in 9 people globally lack access to safe and clean drinking water [2] Sub-Saharan Africa is among the regions with the greatest drinking water needs [2] 319 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live without access to improved, reliable drinking water sources [2] Two thirds of the 159 million people still using surface water live in Sub-Saharan Africa [2] 1 1

6 WATER AND DISEASE Societies cannot succeed without access to water. Given its importance to everyday life and its scarcity in some regions like Sub- Saharan Africa, unsafe water sources are often the only option for drinking, cooking and basic sanitation needs. It has been estimated that patients suffering from water-related diseases occupy half the world s hospital beds, with over 80% of illnesses reported in developing countries linked to poor water quality and sanitation conditions [2]. Safe drinking water is especially important to children, with statistics from Water.org stating that a child dies from a water-related disease every 90 seconds, and Diarrhea related to drinking water is the third leading cause of child death [3]. Source: Ryan's Well Foundation Diseases that result from a lack of adequate water supply [4]: Eye diseases like Trachoma Diseases like Cholera and Typhoid which cause Diarrhea Viral illnesses like Hepatitis A and E Worm diseases like Hook Worm Source: Water.org Source: Water.org Source: Ryan's Well Foundation 2

7 WOMEN, WATER AND DISTANCE Source: Water.org One of the challenges involved in accessing safe drinking water is the time spent collecting water for households each day. It has been widely reported that women and children are most likely to be responsible for water collection in many Sub-Saharan countries [5, 6]. Women and girls tasked with collecting water are more likely to experience: An increased risk of sexual violence [5] An increase in stress associated with the risk of sexual violence [5] An increase in school absences due to a lack of adequate sanitation facilities [5] Source: Water.org A trip that takes under 30 minutes total is considered a benchmark for basic access to a water source [5]. Water collection uniquely impacts children's health as well: Distance to water sources is an important risk factor for diarrhea-related disease in children [5] Children living with a water collection time of over 30 minutes experience an increased risk of moderate to severe diarrhea [5] Extreme pain and fatigue linked to water collection increases with distance from water sources [5] Shortening water collection distances would result in: A decrease in threats to personal safety [5] An increase in time available for schooling and productive activities [5] An increase in time spent with families and community [5] An improvement in school attendance and performance [5] 3

8 WHAT'S NEXT? WOMEN AND WATER MANAGEMENT Community involvement in sustainable water programmes are essential to their success [7]. Given the central role women play in water collection, the active involvement of local women has proven essential to the successful design, implementation and maintenance of water programmes such as those conducted by organizations like Oxfam [6]. Women are often best positioned to identify problems with existing systems and suggest improvements, and as such women are increasingly being engaged in finding solutions for development issues like water [6]. Source: Ryan's Well Foundation INVESTING IN SAFE WATER According to the World Health Organization, for every dollar invested in water and sanitation, there is an economic return of between $3 and $34 [2] By investing in clean water alone, children around the world can collectively gain more than 413 million days of health [2] Research has shown that for every 10% increase in women's literacy, a country's whole economy can grow by up to 0.3% [2] Source: Ryan's Well Foundation 4

9 E X T R A R E S O U R C E S BLOGS & WEBSITES Ryan's Well Foundation Water Wells For Africa UNICEF: Collecting Water is Often a Colossal Waste of Time for Women and Girls NEWS COVERAGE AllAfrica.com: Uganda: Pallisa residents trek kilometres for water The Guardian: Uganda: The problem of unsafe water and poor sanitation in pictures The Guardian: Background: Water in Uganda InsideOttawaValley.com: Ryan Hreljac takes on new role at Ryan's Well Foundation Harvard Political Review: Menstrual hygiene: The dark horse of development VIDEOS Ryan's Well Foundation: Ryan's Appearances on Oprah Kids News Network Sport: Walking for Water

10 R E F E R E N C E S [1] Lewis, Lori. Rural and Urban Water Issues in Africa March < africa>. [2] The Water Project. "Facts about water: statistics of the water crisis." The Water Project. April < scarcity/water_stats>. [3] Water.org. April < facts/ >. [4] Institute Water for Africa. Diseases in Relation with Inadequate Water Supply April < due-to-water-shortage.html>. [5] Graham, Jay P., Mitsuaki Hirai and Seung-Sup Kim. "An Analysis of Water Collection Labor among Women and Children in 24 Sub-Saharan African Countries." PLOS 11.6 (2016). [6] United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. "Water for Women." World Water Assessment Programme, n.d. water.org. "Facts About Children, Women & The Safe Water Crisis." 2017.