Clean water for all

There are a lot of things I like about Charity: Water. I like that every dollar raised goes directly to help communities in most dire need. I like that every project is documented and proven with GPS so you can verify that the people who need help are getting the assistance required. I like that Charity: Water is totally apolitical and in my mind uncontroversial, simply human beings helping fellow human beings receive access to clean drinking water, that most basic of human necessities. This annual September Campaign, which celebrates Sofia Clark's now fifth (!) birthday, coincides with Charity: Water's inception month and is an excellent opportunity to honor Sofia's life by reminding ourselves how fortunate we are to have easy access to resources we often take for granted, and most importantly by making a tangible, overwhelmingly positive difference in the lives of some of the most burdened, impoverished people on the planet. This September every cent raised will be doubled by a generous match program, and all money is going to the Sahel region of Niger and Mali, where women and girls make dangerous, laborious treks several times a day through the scorching sun to distant mudhole wells to cart back water that is not always safe for cooking, cleaning or drinking. We can dramatically improve matters by drilling wells nearer to home, allowing for easy access to clean water, drastically empowering the local economy, significantly reducing disease, ultimately saving lives, and all around improving the quality of life for an entire community in perhaps the most effective, efficient manner I can imagine. And I for one was surprised to learn how far the money extends; a $30 donation provides a single human being with clean water for on average 20 years.

Thank you all for taking the time to read and/or donate. This year, anyone who makes a donation of $40 or more will receive something personalized and handmade from yours truly (I am intentionally leaving it open-ended so that I am free to be as creative as possible to craft something I think you will like, and also because the quality of the gift will depend on how much time is available to me before I bugger off for my winter travels). For more information on Charity: Water and what makes clean water access such an essential and empowering imperative, watch the video below, and/or click here: http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/.

Happy birthday Sofia, and a festive joyous autumn to you all.
Brian