I get this question every year I do this: why water? Why not humane societies? hunger? cancer? homelessness? Why donate your birthday for water?

Because this one fact always gets to me: every day, about 1,400 children die from water-related diseases, meaning millions don't make it to their fifth birthday.

The fact that diseases from dirty water kill more people every year than all forms of violence -- and that 43% of deaths are children under five years old -- is appalling. A milestone most of us take for granted every year is something others will never reach.

And access to clean water and basic sanitation can save around 16,000 of these lives every week.

There's plenty of other powerful consequences that can come from clean water -- including keeping kids in school, fighting poverty, and empowering women -- but if there's anything you take away from reading this, it should be that we could save lives through celebrating our own.

100% of your donation goes to these clean water projects. In my past two birthday campaigns, we've helped serve nearly 500 people with clean water projects in two separate communities in Rwanda.

This year, let's do it again.