Water is the most abundant natural resource we have. It covers 3/4 of the planet and if it were condensed into a sphere, that sphere would be about 350 million cubic miles. It is needed by all life in order to keep going. So why are there so many people on Earth who have so little of it?
Less than 7% of Earth's water is without salt. A lot of that fresh water is in ice caps and glaciers. People like me and probably you get our water from lakes, rivers, or purified salt water. But people in Africa or other developing areas don't have access to clean rivers or lakes, and most likely don't have purifiers. The only clean water around in their area is underground, and they don't have the tools to get it. They're stuck having to walk for hours each day just to get dirty, unsafe water.
At Charity: Water, money is raised from campaigns just like mine and used to drill wells in communities where clean water isn't available. Thanks to them, over 3 million people are getting clean water, and the number is still rising.
I only learned about Charity: Water a few months ago. I'd never seen it on any posters or billboards, nor had I even seen the logo. To me it didn't even exist. However, that all changed when my dad, Rael Dornfest, started work there. Ever since that day I've started seeing Charity: Water in so many places. On posters, in videos, and in countless other areas.
After watching some of their videos, it started to get to me just how lucky I was to be born in a place where I have access to the things I need. I could have been born in a war-stricken area, or in a land where pollution clouds up the sky, making it hard to breathe. Now that I think about it, the chance of me being born in a place like that is higher than you may think.
As my Bar Mitzvah started to get closer and closer, I was still thinking about what my project would be. I didn't really know of many charities or causes, and the ones that I knew of didn't particularly speak to me. As I was contemplating it, my thoughts raced back to Charity: Water. I thought about everyone who didn't have water. Putting myself in their shoes, I thought about living without enough water. It would make those days I went to hot areas without a water bottle pale in comparison to what I would feel every day. I'd think of how sick I'd get and all the bad things that would happen if I didn't have someone to help me.
Now, I can be one of those people. A person who helps those who need it badly, whether they be in Africa, India, or any other country. Because of this organization's influential videos and stories, my mind has been set on helping others survive, and because of your donations, we can save lives.