‘Bowl of Water’: An Animal Awareness Initiative Bringing out the Best in us During Ramadan
As the heat waves become more apparent throughout the region, and our air conditioners are turned on full blast, there are those, the voiceless, who endure the scorching heat, fighting every day to sustain their families as well as themselves. Our beloved stray animals and the birds that soar above the Egyptian skies do not have access to clean water often, and as the temperatures get warmer, access to more clean water is more urgent than ever. However, there is one unsung hero throughout this matter. British-Egyptian Sara Alashri, a Cairo resident who has previously worked for the Dubai-based Furs and Feathers Magazine as a writer/illustrator, took to the social media stage, bringing to life the animal awareness page BOW (Bowl of Water) and the KAR (Kids Acting Responsibly) initiative.
What is BOW all about?
Quite simply, all that is asked of by this initiative is in expressing your empathy towards the stray animals roaming all around us, by leaving out a bowl of water be it in your balconies, the streets, the gardens, or anywhere you see fit for animals to drink from. The steps are as follows:
- Put out a bowl of water
- Snap a picture of it
- Post it to your Instagram stories, adding the hashtag #bow_egypt and mention @thisis_kar, and your stories will be re-shared by them.
Already lots of people have done exactly that, as the campaign has undoubtedly shown a contagious form of compassion. The entire initiative, though a small task on an individual level, has the potential to spike into a massive online movement where any animal can have access to clean water. If it continues to catch on, such habits may very well be incorporated as daily habits within people’s lives. Instagram users have transformed these deeds into challenges with their friends, posting BOW pictures and tagging their friends to follow suit. Though our stray animals will always need our help, it’s precisely throughout Ramadan and these coming warmer months that people can appeal to their humanity and offer a few minutes of their time to cary out a meaningful act.
Kids Acting Responsibly
Many people would love to carry out these goodwill acts, but don’t always know where it is they should begin, or how. This is where BOW comes in, also extending their campaign even further to KAR, which revolves around introducing the concepts of unconditional love, and responsibility towards their pets and animals throughout the community. KAR aims to stretch their initiative throughout homes and within schools where children can learn first hand what it means to adopt and foster an animal, to gain awareness about TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release), and to implant such traits throughout their developmental journey into adulthood.
There is no shortage of goodwill, and the initiative seeks to bring out every inch of people’s empathetic nature that presides within them, just waiting to sprout when the opportunity arises. As our voiceless companions roam our streets, looking for their next meal or means of quenching their thirst, we stand next in line to guiding our children, paving the path with these simple yet profound deeds. So spread the word, leave out those bowls, and watch the magic happen!
