#ImpactCreator Spotlight: Isabella Efimov, Water Equity
Name: Isabella Efimov
Age: 16
Location: Mckinney, TX
Organization: Water Inequity Network (WIN)
Bio: Isabella Efimov is a rising senior at Imagine International Academy of North Texas, a K-12 IB World School. She is a social justice advocate who became interested in water inequity after learning about her fellow Latino community's struggle to access potable water in Texas colonias. Her passion for water justice led her to become a Youth Vanguard at Start: Empowerment as well as found the Water Inequity Network (WIN) in 2021 at the age of 15. Her dynamic youth-led organization focuses on empowering young people to become impactful advocates for water equity by researching and writing articles that are then posted on WIN's various social media platforms.
WIN began by proposing a bill to various Texas policymakers in order to advocate for water equity in colonias. Now, as the organization continues to grow, it has successfully mentored 32 interns from around the world, spoken at various rallies and webinars, written articles that reach 600 people on a daily basis, and partnered with organizations such as Start: Empowerment to publish a zine. WIN believes that the future of environmental justice lies in young people taking up the mantle and not relying solely on adults to develop solutions. It's environmental justice by youth and for youth.
1. What is your understanding of your "purpose" and how do you think it might evolve over time?
I see WIN's purpose as an outlet for young people to not only gain more understanding about water inequity, but also the access and tools to spread awareness and advocate for marginalized communities lacking access to this basic human right. Young people can't wait for adults to solve this issue, my generation has to be part of the discussion if we are going to become part of the solution. After all, we are the ones who will be affected the most. Over time, WIN hopes to empower youth to confront social, political, and environmental issues beyond water access so that they can some day be informed enough to have an impactful voice in their own communities.
2. Why do you do the work you do? What impact do you hope to create?
As a low-income Latina, I was outraged to discover that American citizens in marginalized communities weren't receiving the same basic services as other Americans simply because they lacked socio-economic and political clout. In Texas, where I first began investigating water inequity, colonias are a prime example of this lack of access. They are forgotten and considered so unimportant that many of their communities don't even show up on GoogleMaps. In terms of colonias, even though the UN defines access to potable water as a human right, politicians in Texas can sidestep the issue because there are seven different definitions of the term "colonia". WIN began its activism by writing a bill which would define what exactly constitutes a colonia. We've continued to circulate petitions, speak at rallies, join webinars, and lobby state and federal politicians in the hopes of getting it introduced in a Texas Legislative session. I hope that we can continue this same work in other states to provide a voice for communities like colonias that lack access to such a basic amenity.
3. How has your heritage shaped who you are and how you show up in the world?
In the current climate, Latinos aren't seen as real Americans who are able to contribute to our country in a positive way. We're seen as 'less than' when compared to other communities so it's become acceptable to deny Latinos basic human rights such as access to potable water. My Puerto Rican and Cuban grandparents taught me the value of diversity and acceptance, which America is supposed to embody. Coming from a Jewish background has also taught me the value of engaging in social justice movements and fighting for marginalized communities. My goal is to show up for my Latinx community and inspire others to do the same.
4. What have you learned from any professional or personal challenge(s) or failure(s) that you have experienced in your life?
I became interested in water inequity when I was 14 years old and in the 9th grade. I learned very quickly that no one wants to listen to a person that young, especially not when that person advocates for marginalized communities deemed 'unamerican'. I realized I couldn't do this alone and I was going to need allies. I reached out to organizations like Start: Empowerment whose co-founders, Keir and Alexia, became like mentors to me and allowed me to join their Vanguard program. The most important thing I took away from the experience was that it's important to collaborate and teach what you've learned to other young people. That's what we try to do at WIN. We are all learning and growing toward becoming better advocates for change together.
5. What do you think today's youth has to look forward to?
Our future doesn't seem as bright as past generations because we have so many issues that lay ahead. However, my generation has grown up with access to so much information and the ability to connect and collaborate so quickly that I think that works in our favor. It means we can be more informed and come together to spread the word that much quicker. I think my generation realizes that collaborating is the key to creating meaningful change and more inclusive solutions.