I had a chance to hear about Charity: Water recently. They are doing some innovative and important things to help people in need by bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.
Born in September? Give up your birthday gifts and ask people to give towards clean water.
Not born in September? Spread the word, give up your birthday gifts when your birthday month arrives, or give $33 ($1 for each village charity: water visited that did not have clean water)
ONE IN SIX PEOPLE ON THE PLANET DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE, CLEAN DRINKING WATER.
OUR PLANET IS 70% WATER, BUT 97.5% OF THAT IS SALTWATER.
Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Many people in the developing world, usually women and children, walk more than three hours every day to fetch water that is likely to make them sick. Those hours are crucial, preventing many from working or attending school. Additionally, collecting water puts them at greater risk of sexual harassment and assault. Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water. Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old.
Just returned from Kenya, where we are partnering with others to bring water to West Pokot. The Pokots are a pastoral tribe that is suffering a very bad drought. With the help of others our friends in Kenya have provided them with 6 new bore holes, and we hope to give them several more. Its amazing what water brings to these communities