Free Essay Example on Water Stations

A water station is a non-profit group which operates in the Southern Californian desert intending to prevent individuals from dying of dehydration and heat as they cross the desert during hot summer. The increase in the number of immigrants passing through the desert makes the water stations group help in providing aid to the immigrants. The immigrants tend to move through the desert to look for better lives in other countries. Since 2000, the water station group deploys and maintains other water stations in the Californian desert including the Anza Borrego Park, Imperial Valley and other areas (Androff and Kyoko 172). John Hunter founded this group after realizing people were dying in the desert due to dehydration. John, together with his group, starts to install the water stations in the desert in March. The stations have blue and orange flags, which enhances visibility from a distance. The blue barrels are located along Highway 98 and various parts in the desert. The group determines where to situate the water stations depending on the data given by the coroner's office where people's bodies have been found. Every barrel contains six gallons of water which immigrants can walk through the desert taking. Due to the challenges which the immigrants were encountering in the desert due to the harsh climatic conditions, this paper will focus on the water stations located in the Southern California desert.

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The important ritual along the Southern California desert was related to the Cahuilla individuals who inhabited this area before it became a desert. The routines in this place are related to the mythical origin which how the world came to be and the rules which guide people in it. The story of the origin arises from Tamaioit and Mukat who are twins, and they possess rules and regulations which govern them. Mukat introduced death in this region by making people have bows and arrows which they used to kill each other. Therefore, Mukats story led to the introduction of the necessary ritual, which was death among the Cahuilla people, thus referred to as the Hemnukuwin or the Nukil. The ceremony was made in remembrance of the people who had died since the last Hemnukuwin (Garfinkel et al. 193). During the first three nights of carrying out this ritual, the creation stories are sung by singers from the hosting lineage. At the end of the ceremony that is the last three nights, the visitors are allowed to sing their songs, which acts as a remembrance of the deceased. On the seventh day, the dance of the puppets is performed, which releases the spirits of individuals who had passed away earlier so that they can move safely to the afterlife. Also, other rituals such as the rite of passage for the boys and girls are conducted in this region hence making people appreciate their traditions.

The Imperial Valley struggles for water, which is used in agricultural farms and for human consumption. Due to the harsh climatic condition, water in the Imperial Valley reduces, leading to a reduction in crop production. The water station project related to the Imperial Valley since there is not enough water which is provided to the immigrants as they move through the desert. The non-profit group volunteers to provide water to these individuals, thus saving their lives. After the implementation of the water station group, the mortality rate has reduced among the immigrants, thus reaching their destinations safely. This action relates to the project in the Imperial Valley, where agriculture is carried out, thus ensuring enough supply of food in California (Androff and Kyoko 170). The agricultural sector in the Imperial Valley has worked due to availability of water, which flows by gravity to the plantations. Therefore, water plays a vital role in maintaining humanity since it prevents dehydration and also ensures crop growth despite the harsh environmental condition.

The actions conducted by individuals who run the water station project have enabled me to learn the importance of volunteering and to help. If it were not for the water stations group, the mortality rate of the immigrants in the deserts would have gone high. Volunteering helps in serving humanity despite the challenges which one might go through. The water stations groups have created a significant impact in the lives of people moving through the deserts since they prevent them from becoming dehydrated. Also, the action of this group has helped me to learn the importance of teamwork. If the group did not work as a team, they could not have achieved their set goals and objectives which were to control the dying of people in the desert.

According to Martin (et al. 2015), water in California can be stored in underground tanks and other reservoirs, thus creating water safety in the country. Through water conservations, the prices of water will be low during the drought seasons and water will be available for supply at the deserts. The harsh climatic conditions have led to a water shortage in California, thus making the lives of people challenging. Therefore, I agree with this article about water conservations as it helps in solving the problem of water shortage among the Californian population.

Works Cited

Androff, David K., and Kyoko Y. Tavassoli. "Deaths in the desert: The human rights crisis on the US-Mexico border." Social Work 57.2 (2012): 165-173.

Garfinkel, Alan P., et al. "Ritual, ceremony and symbolism of archaic bighorn hunters of the eastern Mojave desert: Newberry cave, California." Rock Art Research: The Journal of the Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA) 33.2 (2016): 193.

Martin, William E., et al. Saving water in a desert city. Routledge, 2015.