5% Project With Lilliana Bowrey

Travelling and surfing are a huge part of our lives, and our PARGO ambassador Lilliana Bowrey’s life is full of both of these things! 

Often, the locations of some of the best waves in the world are also the places with the worst drinking water conditions.

If you’ve ever travelled to Indonesia or other parts of the world, especially around the equatorial belt, you’ll know not to drink water from the tap. You’re told before you go: only drink bottled water or you’ll get sick and your trip will be ruined.

But what if bottled water wasn’t an option? What if you couldn’t afford it and were forced to collect and boil water from a river, stream, or spring? Boiling helps to an extent, but it’s not a complete solution - waterborne diseases, bacteria, protozoa, cysts, and E. coli still affect people daily. The number of people suffering from these illnesses is staggering.

This is the reality for millions of people. And this is why we started Project PARGO.

Recently, Lilliana joined us for our 20th Clean Water Project in Lombok, helping install 120 filtration systems for families in the Nusa Damai Village, West Lombok - a community that had been drinking contaminated water and suffering illness for a long time.

We met up with Lilliana in Bali and took a short flight to Lombok, before making our way to the west of the island. Upon arrival, Helmy from Waves for Water met us, and we began preparing the filters for the next day’s implementation.

The day started slowly as the community was working in the morning. After lunch, we made our way to Nusa Damai Village to begin the demonstration.

The community gathered to welcome us, and we were given a tour of the village - seeing firsthand the living conditions, their water source, and the effort it takes to collect water (that isn’t even clean).

Once we demonstrated the filters, it was immediately clear how much of a difference these devices would make for the community.

The gravity-fed Sawyer 0.1 micron filters act as a physical barrier, stopping bacteria, disease, dirt, and even microplastics - allowing only clean, drinkable water to pass through.

The community was thrilled to learn about the importance of hydration and sanitation. Clean water has no language barrier - we’re all human, and it’s obvious which glass you’d choose when one is dirty and one is clean.

We implemented 120 filtration systems - one for each household - and provided training on how to maintain and clean the filters, ensuring success for many years to come. The filters are guaranteed for over 4 million litres of water and can last up to 15 years when maintained properly.

An incredible and simple device that truly changes lives, instantly.

After the installation and training, we spent time chatting and getting to know the community. Lilliana, who has Indonesian heritage and speaks the language, connected deeply - it was amazing to see her immersed in the project and bonding with everyone.

We returned home after dark and crashed early - a swell was incoming, and we were all keen to see what it would bring.

Before dawn, we hit the road for the 30-minute drive to the coast. It had poured rain all night, making the journey interesting - we got bogged and slid out a few times but eventually made it through to the track and down to the zone.

We arrived to a building swell at a renowned left-hander reeling down the reef. We surfed for two days straight, scoring perfect waves. The crowds were heavy, but we all got our share. It was an incredible experience to help people in need and then score incredible waves all in a few days. The perfect cherry on top, as this wave doesn’t break every day!

Lilliana got tubed and was absolutely belting it down the line.

This is what PARGO is all about - going off the beaten path, helping people in need, and having an epic time while doing it.

These trips wouldn’t be possible without everyone who supports the brand by purchasing a bottle, cup, or stubby holder. It truly is a team effort - and we can’t wait to do more!

SHOP INSULATED BOTTLES
SHOP INSULATED CUPS
SHOP INSULATED STUBBY HOLDERS
READ MORE ABOUT CLEAN WATER PROJECT #20