Water access and education

Ruth Marcus' point about women and girls carrying water for hours a day in the developing world ("Damon's global waterworks," April 21) can be taken a step further. The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, a human rights organization, has found that in villages in the developing world, many girls cannot attend school, as their task of carrying water keeps them busy for hours a day. More girls attend school when villages have access to clean drinking water.

Having girls in schools means a better life for all.

Linda McKim-Bell
Northwest Portland 

McKim-Bell is regional coordinator of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee for the Pacific Northwest