ILLUMINATE LYFE FOUNDATION

During our time in Ghana we have repeatedly visited the Volta region and fell in love with its breathtaking beauty, to us, it's the literal definition of paradise. Unfortunately, amongst the lush and vibrant natural landscape, lies the stark contrast of the sparse, dehydrated villages, extreme poverty, and under-resourced indigenous people. We were shocked to see that only women and children as young as 5 are still walking long distances in blazing 36-degree intense heat. Imagine having to carry in excess of 15-35kg of water on your head, multiple times a day... Now let me put this into perspective for you, that is the equivalent of an overweight suitcase, a sofa, or a washing machine!

The long-term effects caused by prolonged stress to the spine can lead to spinal dislocation, fracture, arthritis, and in some cases the damage done to the spine is fatal, causing death during childbirth due to cervical spondylosis.

After a few brainstorming sessions and a lot of research, we came up with a safer and effective solution. Introducing, the Water Wheel, which holds 4 times as much water as the average women can carry.

• Balanced size and shape designed to increase the performance on tough terrain.
• Reinforced axles protect Water Wheel skin from wear and tear
• Wide mouth opening facilitates easy pouring and cleaning
• The unique cap-in-cap design keeps clean water clean
• Simple design with handle control reduces physical strain
• Handholds allow for better handling while filling + emptying

It's common knowledge that water scarcity affects those who struggle with poverty, because of this, we won't be selling them! We intend to raise enough funds to distribute just over 5000 units across the Volta, Northern and Eastern regions of Ghana.

In case you're not convinced you should support the women in Ghana, here a few extra facts that compelled us to start this social enterprise.

• Women in Ghana spend about 25% of their day collecting water, their male partners spend 0%.
• Women are the primary carers of children, they don’t expect their husbands to bath children or wash their clothing. So when water becomes scarce, women tend to have no peace of mind.
• About 4 billion people, nearly two-thirds of the population of the world, face severe water scarcity and over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress.
• About 38% of the population lack access to potable/drinking water.
• Women and young girls were found to be the primary drawers of water for household needs, because of patriarchal cultural norms.
• The main sources of water supply are streams, rivers, shallow ponds, hand-dug wells, boreholes, and rainwater.
• Water supply systems are generally inadequate, the problem worsens during the dry season when most of the streams dry up from Nov-May.

Water is required for different productive activities pursued by both men and women. But the responsibility of fetching water rests heavily on the girls and women of the village. The strict gender roles and cultural norms in the Volta/ Northern/ Eastern regions make the collection and use of water a gendered issue.

In case you didn't know, Illuminate LYFE Foundation is the sister of our skincare business, Illuminate Essentials. We donate 10% of every purchase of our products to support our social enterprises, so please join us to make a difference and improve the quality of lives of 5000 women, girls, and their families.

We are grateful for your kindness and for taking the time to read this!

Love Illuminate LYFE Foundation