As far as stunt activism goes, dropping a dirty-water vending machine in the middle of Manhattan during World Water Week is one helluva attention-grabber. For UNICEF’s Tap Project, however, it also distilled the global water crisis in a way New Yorkers could not sidestep: by bottling and selling “Dirty Water” for a dollar a pop. Available flavors? Typhoid, malaria, cholera, or hepatitis.
It’s good for a laugh, sure, but if you’re one of the 1 billion people around the globe without access to clean, safe H2O, the waterborne disease is a clear-and-present reality. In fact, 4,200 children die of water-related diseases each day—the second highest cause of childhood deaths in the world, according to UNICEF.
Selling the water did more than draw attention to the millions of consumers of the tainted “product.” The effort also raised funds for UNICEF’s cause, with every dollar donated going toward safe drinking agua to 40 children for a day.
Via CSRwire
3 Responses to “UNICEF’s “Dirty Water” Vending Machine Has 8 Flavors of Disease”
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There is no clear information whether the water is drinkable or “really dirty”?
Do someone know how the peaple act,
do they drink the water?
This project looks eerily similar to a project a student did at the art college I teach at about three or four years ago. Not that similar projects don’t occur, but I know the student shopped his idea.
was there for the event, actually part of unicef. the water was not toxic, made from a safe concoction of ingredients found at your local grocery store. as for the college project, the students contacted UNICEF to create their own version of this campaign–which has existed for several years now.