World Water Day 2014

COCA-COLA Far East Ltd. (CCFEL) Bangladesh, in partnership with Jaago Foundation began celebrating "World Water Day 2014". This event was part of Coca-Cola's commitment to ensuring sustainability of resources, with special emphasis given on water stewardship. The World Water Day 2014 was celebrated under the theme “Water and Energy”, within the framework of the United Nations coordinated by UNESCO on behalf of UN Water. The event kicked off at Korail in Dhaka on 21 March, 2014, with "The Great Water Challenge 2014: Battle of the districts", remaining the main attraction.
Volunteer for Bangladesh (VBD) sent 15 district teams of their organisation to take part in the highly anticipated third edition of "The Great Water Challenge 2014: Battle of the districts", part of World Water Day 2014's awareness campaign. The districts included were Bhola, Bogra, Chapai Nawabganj, Chittagong, Dinajpur, Feni, Gazipur, Jhalakati, Narayanganj, Natore, Patuakhali, Rajshahi, Tangail, Jessore and Dhaka. Participants from the districts were kept busy taking part in the Community Awareness Challenge, Lake Cleaning Challenge, Shower Challenge and of course the Boat Race, all in the spirit of the occasion.
An infectious enthusiasm was prevalent even before the day's proceedings began. Instead of listlessly discussing matters of conservation and preservation, the volunteers were given an opportunity to grasp the core of the idea they were championing. The teams learned about the daily lives of the slum dwellers and their trials and tribulations up close. To spice things up, challenges were put forward which tested the volunteers' survival skills and their ability to improvise. The main focus however remained on proper utilisation of water sources. To drive home the point of proper use of water bodies, it was emphasised that waste of water meant waste of energy as 8 per cent of all global energy is used just for treating, pumping and transporting water. Furthermore, techniques of natural water purification were a key discussion area in the Community Awareness challenge.
The event really revved up during the Lake Cleaning Challenge. One of the most arduous and challenging of all activities, this challenge really tested the tenacity and dedication of the district teams. The Jhalakathi Team came out on top in this event. For almost two hours, the team went about removing debris from the lake, really getting into the thick of things. Even after the conclusion, volunteers from Jhalakathi and other districts were seen to carry on with their task, immersed in their dedication to bring about a change. Although the debris removed may not prove to be a huge dent, the fact that the locals did not hesitate to get involved was perhaps the most glowing form of endorsement for the World Water Day 2014. Once the locals saw the effort given to clean up their surroundings and heard about the importance of their water body, a change in their perspective was decipherable and this may be the occasion's biggest success.
The evening was finally brought to a conclusion by the soothing tunes played by the famous band Shunno. Surrounded by Gulshan Lake, listening to Shunno belt tunes of inspiration, brought to the fore not only the lake's importance but rather Korail's importance as well. The seemingly land-locked slum located smack in the middle of the country's most posh locality, separated by a dwindling water body provided a surreal ambience to fully realise that indeed all of us have a part to play, most of all the locals.