Jay-Z, rapper extraordinaire, toured several countries in Africa in 2006 to follow the unfolding water crisis in the developing world. It seems a little strange that Jay-Z of all people would partner up with MTV and the UN to create a video diary chronicling the struggle that millions of people have to endure just to get water for basic needs. But his celebrity status can do great things to bring the realities of poverty to the public eye. In one video, a girl takes Jay-Z on her daily 4 hour long journey to fetch water. I was just as shocked as Jay-Z when I saw the risks that girls in developing countries take just to provide their families with enough water to survive. Even though it’s still a little weird to see Jay-Z in a suit shaking hands with Kofi Annan, I have to commend him on using his fame toward positive ends. Attaching his celebrity name to a cause as important as water sanitation helps to publicize the fact that 2.6 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation.

Here’s the video diary series:

The second installment of Jay-Z’s video diary

And the third

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