A couple have returned from a UN water awareness trip and are running 100kms in 24hrs to raise awareness for level 4 water restrictions in Cape Town.
Starting today Capetonians are restricted to using 100L per day, per person. Heleen Mills and Kelvin Trautman are going to be running 100km today for the 24 hours. They are doing it to raise awareness on the importance of sticking to the level 4 restriction.
The duo recently returned from a UN-endorsed global campaign to raise awareness of the global water crisis. The expedition took eight-weeks and involved documenting water stories from six of the world’s most iconic rivers. They visited the Colorado, Amazon, Murray, Yangtze, Nile and Thames. As part of their expedition, the duo spent time in Sao Paulo, a city that ran dry for five days in 2015.
“The stories people told us about those five days were hair-raising. I will never forget the expression on a local woman’s face when she explained what it was like when water stopped flowing from the taps. She said that chaos erupted all around the city. It sounded apocalyptic,” – Heleen Mills
When the couple returned to South Africa they were shocked at how little media coverage the water crisis got worldwide. That is when they decided to do the run, to try and highlight the crisis.
“A 24-hour-non-stop, 100km run sounds crazy, and that is the point. It is equally crazy to think we have allowed the city’s water shortage to get this severe without significant intervention or action. We knew this was coming. The city’s water scarcity issue did not blindside us,” – Kelvin Trautman
“The one thing that binds Capetonians together is our love for our city. As of June 1st, we need to come together as a city and commit to go far beyond what is comfortable in order to make our water resources last” – Heleen Mills
To follow their run today check out the hashtag #RunningDry100 on various social media platforms.