Sunday, January 6, 2013

Water for 41 People


photo credit: Charity:Water

Last year I had a chance to hear Charity:Water’s  founder, Scott Harrison  speak. If you are not familiar with Charity:Water, they are a non-profit that brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 

The particularly cool thing about their work is that 100% of the money donated goes straight to water projects. Their operating costs are underwritten by angel investors, foundations, and corporate sponsorship. Bottom line, every penny donated goes specifically to a water project, and it’s also tax deductible.

Why am I telling you this?

On February 28, I will turn 41 years old.  To celebrate, I have started my own Charity:Water Campaign called Water for 41 for my 41st.

Will you help?

If you would normally buy me a drink or coffee, instead, I invite you to pitch in $5 or $10 to my fundraising efforts? Nothing would make me happier to be able to turn my birthday into clean water for 41 people. While costs vary per country, they can bring clean water to people at about $20 a head, so my goal is to raise $820.

Think about what clean water means for you. I know I take abundant supplies of clean water for granted. My life would be a lot different if I had to worry about getting some kind of stomach bug each time I drank the water. I appreciate that I can turn on the tap in my kitchen or bathroom and get clean water. I don’t have to walk miles or hours to go to a water source of questionable quality. Did you know that: 

  • 90% of the 30,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are children under five years old;
  • In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year just walking for water. 
  • Every $1 invested in improved water supply and sanitation yields an average of $4-$12 for the local economy, depending on the type of intervention.

Needless to say, clean water is important for a variety of reasons. Will you help me bring clean water to 41 people? 

I am confident that we can do this. Will you join me?

Click here to get started. 

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