The Problem: We are all thirsty. Thirsty for justice, thirsty for peace, thirsty for life. 1 in 10 people lack access to clean water. Every day, children die from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. But I believe that we will live to see the day when everyone has access to clean water. Please help make this dream come alive.
The Solution: No one should be without clean water. So, what can I do? While the problem is large, the solution is surprisingly simple, cheap, and permanently effective. Charity Water is a trusted 4 star charity on Charity Navigator. Charity Water finds the best sustainable solution (e.g. wells, piped systems, biosand filters, etc.) at each location, coordinates sanitation and hygiene training, and establishes a local Water Committee so that residents have clean drinking water for life. Since Charity Water began eleven years ago, 6.4 million people have clean water for life. There are 663 million more who need it. What happens when people have clean water? Children stay alive and attend school and become doctors and change their villages, and those villages change the world.
The proof: 100% of public donations are sent to local partners on the ground, who build and implement the projects. When the projects are completed, charity: water proves every one of them using GPS coordinates, photos and details of the community served. Since we began walking for water in 2012, we have raised over $8600, which has brought almost 300 people clean water for life, in over 11 villages, in Ethiopia, Congo, Nepal, Cambodia, Tanzania, Kenya, Niger, and Malawi.
Why do we walk 15 miles? To honor the hundreds of millions of women and children who are walking for miles every day to gather water that is not even clean. Some of them are even raped or otherwise attacked on their walks. Children cannot attend school due to all the time spent gathering water, as well as the time (hopefully) recovering from the water-borne illnesses. When I was in Haiti, I learned that most residents who lack clean water are sick an average of once a week.
It means so much to us when you walk with us. Please join us on October 14th for our 6th annual Walk for Water in Columbia, MO. Get your friends, enjoy the beautiful walk on the MKT trail in the fall, make new friends, and enjoy a wonderful Thai meal at Cooper’s Landing, where we finish. You will be so glad you did. We want every step to matter. If you cannot walk this year, you can help by donating and/or sharing this link with everyone you know. Also, walking half the distance is an option. Sign up for the walk and get updates at https://www.facebook.com/events/1786823294680828/permalink/1786825368013954/
Michelle Golden's birthday is October 6th. For her 44th birthday, she asks that you please donate to this campaign instead of giving her gifts. Her birthday wish is to build a well, which means let’s do it! Let’s raise $5000 and keep going after we do. We. Won’t. Stop.