Educational Media Reviews Online

Charles Banda, founder and director of Freshwater Project Malawi, is on a personal crusade to ensure clean water and sanitation for Malawi’s 12 million people. An inspired and inspiring humanitarian, he is not only interested in setting up wells, but shares his rich understanding of the ripple effects of water scarcity. He speaks of “food security,” referring to the ability to ensure self-reliance in terms of food production and consumption, locally and nationally. He expounds upon the long term effects on education, career development (and lack thereof), and economic stability. He takes on an interesting dimension as he substantially explores the impact on women, as it is women who traditionally collect water. Within the family dynamic, men in clean water communities are now participating in what were formerly women’s chores. Moreover, Banda and his organization are constructing these wells to be self-sustaining and independent, using wind or solar power to pump water at sustainable rates.

In 2000, the U.N. set a series of goals to decrease poverty and improve health conditions through the developing world. These goals were deemed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This film systematically proceeds through each MDG, such as “reducing child mortality” and “combating AIDS,” and explains the current condition of the respective crisis, its ripple effects, and how access to fresh water alleviates each crisis in Malawi.

With extensive subtitles and interviews with citizens and policymakers, Water First is a brilliant, methodical, and uplifting examination of the water crisis. Like other honored environmental documentaries, this film examines the long-term and sequential implications of the crisis. With a good deal of images of poverty to reinforce the gravity of the situation, the film still manages to be quite inspirational, especially when witnessing Banda’s passion and munificence.