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Rediff.com  » Getahead » Wow! Mina Guli is running 100 marathons to save water

Wow! Mina Guli is running 100 marathons to save water

By Rediff Get Ahead Bureau
Last updated on: December 05, 2018 09:40 IST
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Mina Guli wants to complete 100 marathons across the world to raise awareness about water scarcity.

Mina Guli, 47, from Australia is running one marathon every day for a very important cause -- to raise awareness of water scarcity and save water.

She aims to run 100 marathons across countries around the world which includes India.

Guli started her journey at the New York City Marathon on November 4, 2018 covering England, France, Italy, Uzbekistan and the Aral Sea, she has now reached India.

'Our planet's water resources are under extreme stress. Experts predict that by 2030 our demand for water will be 40 per cent greater than the supplies available,' Guli writes on her blog.

Through the non-profit Thirst which she launched in 2012, Guli aims to finds solutions to fight the damage we have done and save the future.

According to a study conducted by Colgate (also one of Guli's sponsors) and YouGov, it was found that, globally, the Save Water campaign can lead to a potential reduction of 50 billion gallons of water per year.

In March 2016, she finished running 40 marathons across seven deserts on seven continents in seven weeks -- a world record.

The same year, Mina Guli was named on Fortune's list of the 50 greatest leaders in the world.

Here are some snippets from Guli's marathon journey into India:

Mina Guli

IMAGE: 'Indian women are often the primary providers of water for their families. On average, rural woman walk 5 to 20 km a day to fetch water. Many women are bearing the brunt of India’s water crisis,' she wrote against this picture where she is posing with the women folk with pots filled with water.  Photographs: Kind courtesy Mina Guli/Twitter

Mina Guli

Here she is with the students of Government Engineering College of Dahod, Gujarat.
'The signing of this flag at every location is building a movement that will bring us one step closer to solving the global water crisis,' Guli says.

Mina Guli

'Cotton is an important agriculture product in India. Unfortunately, severe water scarcity in India is exacerbated by the cotton industry,' she talks about the plight of cotton farmers.

Mina Guli

Jyotsna, pictured left is from Matwa village in Gujarat. The villagers here don't have water to drink or to do farming.
'We are here in the post rain months and everything should be green but crops are already drying up. Jyosthna explained that this has forced a lot of urban migration as farming families look to supplement their income,' Guli writes.

Mina Guli

'Seeing these empty wells, some 80 foot deep, and the dwindling groundwater levels is an eye opening experience. Communities here have to wait for electricity to come on to be able to pump from the well. It reminds us how precious water is,' Guli says.

Mina Guli

'Today I was joined by the local running club as I ran along the Chittorgarh Fort!
'I was so surprised when they presented me with a trophy for being the first foreign woman to run the length of the fort wall.
'Another memorable day here in India,' she writes about her experience.

After India, she will continue her run in Hong Kong, China, Dubai, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Mexico. Mina Guli aims to completes the expedition by running across the United States to finish her 100th marathon in New York on February 11, 2019. 

We wish her all the best!

 

Mina Guli, we are proud of what you are doing to save our future. More power to you!

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