Kuwait City: While the average temperature during summer months in Kuwait is around 40 degrees Celsius, many are forced to work under the blazing sun.
Although according to the 2015 ministerial law 535, it is illegal to work outdoors between 11am and 4pm starting from June 1 to August 31, one cannot but notice the number of motorcycle delivery men looking for a shaded area as they await their next order or the street cleaner who is sitting under the tree to catch a break from the scorching heat.
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Realising this injustice, a group of five Kuwaiti girls got together and decided to do something to help.
“I kept thinking ‘How can we help and come up with a solution that is simple, yet important and long-lasting’. Then we thought, how about we give them something that will keep their water cold as they work under the sun,” Mariam Al Wuhaib, told Gulf News. “That’s when we got the idea to hand out reusable water bottles.”
Al Wuhaib, along with her four friends - Raghad Al Qassar, Fouz Al Mathkoor, Riwa Al Ruwaieh and Haya Al Sharekh - went around Kuwait and passed out reusable water bottles to gas station workers and street cleaners. Within two days, they gave 80 reusable water bottles across eight gas stations.
“We started out with 80 water bottles because we felt that it was the capacity we could handle. But then when we posted the video of us handing out the water bottles on social media, everybody started asking us how they can help,” Al Wuhaib explained.
The video received around 54,000 views and 1,100 likes on Twitter.
“The video was a huge success because it highlighted an injustice and provided a solution. We wanted this video to send a message that no matter how small the act is, it can go a long way,” Al Wuhaib said.
Why reusable water bottles?
“Many workers stand under the sun for hours and find that their water usually is hot within minutes. Plus, the single plastic bottles most of them use are not meant to be utilised more than one, max two times,” Al Wuhaib explained.
Using a plastic bottle more than once can have serious health effects as they leach chemicals and bacteria grows in them. The chemicals in the plastic can seep into the water, especially if the water is hot, and mainly affects people’s hormones. According to a study by Sean Raj in the Water Environment Research journal, bacteria and fungi can grow in damp or half full bottles once they have been open.
“Although we did not solve the whole problem because they still have to walk to the nearest water fountain to refill their bottle, we did find a way for them to keep their water cold and a way for them to stop using single-use plastic,” Al Wuhaib pointed out.
What’s next?
“As people kept asking us how they can help, we knew that the responsibility became bigger than just 80 water bottles, we instantly became part of something bigger that could reach more people,” Al Wuhaib pointed out.
Currently, Al Wuhaib and her team are working on a new project inspired by the success of their previous endeavour. They are working on creating a business model so that when one person buys a reusable water bottle another one is donated to somebody in need.
“While we focused on gas station workers, once we launch the business we want to help all of those that work under the sun from motorcycle delivery drivers to street cleaners,” Al Wuhaib explained.
Al Wuhaib added, “I do not think that the idea is revolutionary or new because I’m sure somebody has given someone in need a water bottle in the past. What we are trying to achieve is not only hand out water bottles, but show the community that an act of good does not have to be grand, even the smallest and simplest of acts can make a difference.”
Al Wuhaib shared Al Qassar’s life motto ‘Goodness exists’ meaning that although there is so much injustice around us, instead of complaining we can come up with a solution, small or big, that will help but also serve as inspiration to others.
“The good thing about Kuwaitis is that they are givers, they are always willing to help out with any humanitarian cause, especially the younger generation as they no longer normalise injustice. We are learning to speak up and say that it is not okay,” Al Wuhaib said.
