ods , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁Th ailand ▁flo ods , ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁E cuador ▁earth qu ake , ▁among ▁other ▁cr ises ▁and ▁initi atives . ▁In ▁the ▁Mut omo ▁District ▁in ▁Ken ya ▁which ▁has ▁suffered ▁from ▁long ▁term ▁dr ought , ▁the ▁Ken ya ▁Red ▁Cross ▁supplied ▁filters ▁to ▁ 3 , 7 5 0 ▁school ▁children ▁and ▁ 6 , 7 5 0 ▁households . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Life St raw ▁filters ▁were ▁deployed ▁in ▁R w anda . ▁The ▁company ▁also ▁funds ▁a ▁ret ail ▁give ▁back ▁program ▁that ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁has ▁provided ▁safe ▁water ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 ▁million ▁school ▁children ▁in ▁rural ▁Ken ya . ▁▁ ▁Con tr ary ▁to ▁popular ▁belief , ▁the ▁original ▁Life St raw ▁does ▁not ▁incorpor ate ▁a ▁reverse - os mos is ▁memb rane ▁nor ▁is ▁it ▁able ▁to ▁filter ▁out ▁sal ts ▁or ▁min er als . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁The ▁original ▁Life St raw ▁is ▁a ▁pl astic ▁t ube ▁ 2 2   cm ▁long ▁and ▁ 3   cm ▁in ▁diameter . ▁Water ▁that ▁is ▁drawn ▁up ▁through ▁the ▁st raw ▁first ▁passes ▁through ▁h ollow ▁fib res ▁that ▁filter ▁water ▁particles ▁down ▁to ▁ 0 . 2   µ m ▁across , ▁using ▁only ▁physical ▁fil tr ation ▁methods ▁and ▁no ▁chemical s . ▁The ▁entire ▁process ▁is ▁power ed ▁by ▁su ction , ▁similar ▁to ▁using ▁a ▁conventional ▁drink