Clean water. In the developed world, we take it so for granted and waste it so freely. At the same time, nearly one billion people, especially in Africa, have very limited access to this life giving resource. Without such access, one child dies every 15 seconds. 1 in 5 children who die before age 5 worldwide, dies of a water related illness. These illnesses kill more people each year than wars and other conflicts combined. This is suffering on a massive scale.
Young Boy Collects Water in Central Kenya
Children, especially girls, and women, must walk miles every day to find even the small amounts of filthy, disease ridden water they are able to use. For those who live through all of this, they can expect:
- Illnesses that incapacitate, not allowing adults to work or children to attend school
- Unwatered fields, ever dwindling food supplies, deep hunger, and starvation
- Continuing poverty and inequality
Clean water!! For these people, the shift away from needless death and out of poverty, illness, inequality and hunger begins with it. If there is one crucial element in lifting 1/6 of the world’s population out of this mire, it’s drinkable, accessible water.
Sierra-Leone-girl
When a well is sunk in a community using local labor, water begins to flow and hope returns. When the community is involved in every step of the process, the people become educated partners who make sure their newly developed resource is a sustainable one. Gardens spring up, often managed by women, kids go back to school, sanitation improves, death and disease rates fall, and solid economic development begins.
The thing is, it takes a great organization to makes this all happen and continue into the future. When my daughter and her husband-to-be introduced me to the Water Project, I knew I had found an international nonprofit group doing such work that I could truly support and recommend to others.
Here’s the deal. I have just set up a fundraising page on the Water Project’s website and made the first contribution. Yup, you’re right. I need your help and invite you to join me in this very worthy effort.
It takes about $7,000 to construct a good well and that’s what I’m trying to do. To go just a little beyond that cost, for extras, I’ve set a goal of $10,000, but I can’t do it alone. Construction won’t begin for 6 to 8 months but I’m certain with all the goodhearted, compassionate people I know, and will get to know, we can make this happen in that time. No contribution is too small, truly.
Click here for the link to Doug Dillon’s Fundraising Page. After you donate, the Water Project will keep you advised of our progress. Once our well is in place, you will be able to see it. While you’re on the website, look around and check things out. Bookmark this page if you like and keep track of it yourself.
Come on in, the water’s fine. You won’t regret it.
For a photo gallery of the water project, click here.
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