It took years of promoting extravagant night clubs in New York City for Scott Harrison to realize that living pretentiously does not lead to personal fulfillment.
Just five years after this discovery, Harrison has become one of the most accomplished humanitarians in the country.
Harrison, the founder of Charity: Water, a non-profit organization devoted to providing clean water to underdeveloped nations, opened the 43rd session of Penn’s Model United Nations Conference with a speech Thursday night. The conference, which involved 1,400 college students from around the world, is taking place at the Double Tree Hotel in downtown Philadelphia through Nov. 15.
Harrison described to the audience how, on a lavish vacation to South America in 2004, he realized that his life was one of decadence and escapism. On a whim, he joined the crew of the traveling hospital, Mercy Ship. He documented the ship’s journey by photographing impoverished Africans with tumors and dangerous skin conditions.
Harrison said he was shocked by the atrocious living standards he saw, particularly the swamp water people used to bathe, cook and drink. Water was the greatest and most detrimental shortage he witnessed over the course of his journey. It was then that he decided to take action, he said.
Harrison described the eight-hour lines women from Northern Uganda stand in to get only a few gallons of dirty water for their families. He displayed photographs of children who transport 40 pounds of water each day in jerry cans roped to their backs.
“The jerry can is the iPod of Africa,” Harrison said. “Every child has one.”
Long water transports are also the number one reason for premature education drop-outs, he said.
Charity: Water provides funding to solve these problems, according to Harrison. The organization is unique because, unlike many aid organizations, Charity: Water gives 100 percent of the money it raises through public donations to the actual cause, he said.
The charity even has online tracking devices that allow people to see exactly where their donations are going and what specific projects they are assisting.
The entire audience rose in a standing ovation at the conclusion of Harrison’s speech.
“I enjoyed Harrison because he actually did something,” said College freshman Anthony Khaykin. “He wasn’t just preaching.”
West Point Military Academy senior Tyler Matthews agreed, adding that “it set the tone for the conference by inspiring us to think outside of the box and imagine new, innovative ways to approach the world’s challenges.”
