Water, hygiene and transportation are constant challenges for developing nations like India, and women often shoulder the burden of collecting water for their families. For many isolated areas, family members (mainly women) are forced to trek up to five miles to the nearest water source with large, heavy plastic containers balanced on their heads. It's estimated that Indian women and young girls spend up to 25 percent of their time each day collecting water. This time spent often keeps children out of school and cuts out the valuable time that could otherwise be spent generating income from other means.

Cynthia Koenig, a young social innovator, decided to create a new way to make this chore less arduous. She designed a device to transport water in a more efficient and hygienic way: The Water Wheel, a round 50-liter container that enables people to roll water from water sources rather than carry it on their heads. This allows for three to five times more water to be transported at one time compared to traditional methods.

Through Asia Society Texas Center's community partner Ek Disha, guests will hear about Koenig's experiences firsthand and for the first time in Texas, see and try out the award-winning Water Wheel.