My name is Raina Asu Vaghani. I arrived a year ago on March 27, 2017. I caused all kinds of problems for my mom because I wanted to come earlier. She is so glad that I decided to wait, and I am, too, because today both of us are happy and healthy!

I love to do lots of things, especially EVERYTHING my big sister, Aria, does. I know for Aria’s first birthday, many family members and friends donated for the Mother Teresa Ashram in Rajkot, Gujarat, India. My sister is very kind, and she was so happy that she could share her birthday with others who are not as fortunate as she is. I want to be just like her so I want to share my birthday, too.

My parents have been helping me look for a charity, to see which one might fit me best. As many of you know that I LOVE to play in water. And my name has the word “rain” in it! It is the perfect name for a girl who loves water! So we have decided that Charity: Water is the ideal way for a girl like me to celebrate my first birthday!

Why water?
If someone is in need of money, you can send them money. If someone is hungry, you can send them food. But if someone needs water to drink, cook, shower, and wash clothes, you can’t send them a lake or a well, and a few bottles would not be enough to meet all their needs.

A water charity is perfect for a girl who loves water and whose name is RAINa! So that is why I am asking you to donate the money you would spend on a gift for me to Charity: Water. For a girl who loves water as much as I do, not having any would make me very sad. That’s why I want to share my birthday by sharing water with all the little girls throughout the world who don’t have nearly enough! Thank you for making my birthday dream come true!

100% of the money will be used to build clean water projects, and when they’re complete, charity: water will send us photos and GPS coordinates so we can see the exact community we helped

Below, you will find some more useful info about how your contribution will help make a difference.

With much love and a big hug,

Raina Asu Vaghani

What is Charity: Water?
Charity: Water is a nonprofit organization that brings clean, safe drinking water to people in 24 developing countries around the world, including in Africa, Asia, Central and South America. Here in the United States, we just have to turn on a faucet to get clean water. But there are 663 million people today who don’t have clean water; that’s 1 in 10 people in the world, or twice as many people as live in the US. Contributing to Charity: Water allows them to work with local experts and community members to find the best sustainable solution for each place, whether it’s a well, a piped system, a BioSand Filter, or a system for harvesting rainwater. And their partners then coordinate sanitation and hygiene training, and establish a local Water Committee to help keep the water flowing for years to come.

What happens when people don’t have clean water?
• People die. Diseases from dirty water kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Of those killed, 43% are children under the age of 5.
• Kids miss school. Children miss 443,000 days of school each year because they are sick from water-related illnesses that could be prevented.
• Girls drop out of school. One in 4 girls do not complete primary school compared to 1 in 7 boys.
• Moms spend most of their time getting water. In Africa alone, women spend 40 billion hours a year walking for water.

What happens when people do have clean water?
People don’t get sick and die. Basic sanitation can save around 16,000 lives every week!
Girls have more opportunities. Female school enrollment increases by 15%, and girls stay in school, which gives them a chance for a better future.
Moms have more time to help their families. When they don’t have to spend hours getting water, women have more time to grow food, earn an income and take care of their families.

Why this particular water charity?
Charity: Water sends 100% of its public donations to local partners who build and implement water projects. In addition, it trains communities to make minor repairs and brings in skilled mechanics when more complex repairs are needed, ensuring that completed projects continue to provide water after they are installed. Since it was founded in 2006, Charity: Water has funded 24,537 projects and provided over 7 million people with clean water. It has excellent ratings with Charity Navigator (4-star rating, 92.29 overall score), Charity Watch (A rating), Guidestar (Platinum rating), and the Better Business Bureau (accredited charity).