Fighting the Water Crisis Through the Maji Project
Writer: Kyla M. / Editors: Savannah T. and Caroline M. / Photographer and photo editor: Brooke F. / Graphic Designer: Savannah T.
Globally, one in every ten people do not have access to clean water, and one in every three people do not have access to sanitization. This is the world water crisis. Ansley B., is working to educate fellow students and continue to create an impact through her new club, The Maji Project.
Ansley first learned about the water crisis in her freshman year of high school. That year, she went on a mission trip with Young Life Tanzania, where she was able to bring water filters to the people of Tanzania. Her group brought 100 contraptions that fit buckets of water and are considered 99 percent effective. These contraptions are spigots that can be attached to buckets and will last for 10 years. She returned to this tribe the summer after her senior year where she was able to see the impact her previous trip had on this community. Ansley conducted a survey to see how the tribe members felt the water filters affected their daily lives. The response showed Ansley that what she was doing was proactive service. The tribe members told her that they had a better understanding of the significance of clean water and many saw a steep decline of waterborne illnesses within their households.
“I wanted to be intentional and make sure we were bringing something that had an impact. I went to a medical clinic and created a survey to ask if they knew about water safety and if they had a water filter. Those that received water filters [from our first trip] were able to see a complete decrease in waterborne sickness. They wanted us to come back with more,” says Ansley.
After seeing the impact of her work, Ansley wanted to bring this initiative to the Florida State community. The Maji Project is a new student organization that aims to combat the global water crisis. Maji Project translates to the water project in Swahili, the national language of Tanzania. She felt that the global water crisis was an issue that affects more communities than many people know. She wanted to put her passion into action and felt that she had the education to bring this initiative to campus.
Fellow executive board member, Maddie W., says, “Ansley had always talked about starting something here on campus related to the global water crisis. Eventually, late-night talks in the dorm about water disparities and how to help became a reality and The Maji Project was born.”
Like any other initiative, educating the general public about water disparity was the first course of action. “Once you get these ideas to one student I think that they will stay with them for the rest of their lives. I am just hoping to plant seeds of wanting to serve and fight this crisis. For anyone who has a heart for service, this is the perfect opportunity,” says Ansley when asked about educating others.
The Maji project values action alongside education. The second initiative is to fundraise to help pay for more filters to bring to Tanzania for the tribe like the one Ansley visited in high school. The third initiative is a local partnership with the Damayan Garden Project, a group that aims to get clean fruits and vegetables to local communities. At first, Ansley planned to go back to Tanzania this summer, but with travel restrictions in place, she knew she needed to broaden her scope of service.
Ansley has found support from the greek community. Several members have joined the Maji project alongside her.
“I brought this idea to some of my friends and sisters and within a day I had a group of four people who wanted to jump on exec. with me. I am trying to pull in every community I can. I feel like greek life already sets us up for success and service so it was a great place to start,” Ansley says.
Since her first trip to Tanzania years ago, Ansley has maintained relationships that will last her a lifetime and continue to show her the importance of service. To Ansley, these trips are not about saving people but helping those in need and even learning from them along the way. Ansley uses apps, such as WhatsApp, to continue to grow her friendships with tribe members she met while she was in Africa. Although she serves passionately, she also values the relationships she has made with the people she has had the opportunity to help.
“My main takeaway was that they may not have all the material things but they are rich in wisdom and spirit. We learn just as much from them as they have with us,” Ansley says.