It's hard to know what to write.

On September 7th, I'll turn 38 years old and charity: water will turn 7. It's been an amazing journey, and with every year that passes, I feel so blessed that I've been able to wake up every single day and lead an organization full of passionate, creative and talented people that care so deeply about serving others.

This year's September campaign is special for me. Joe Madiath has been serving the poorest and most marginalized people in Orissa, India for more than 30 years. I've gotten to walk with Joe through many remote villages, and was struck by a sense of greatness I hadn't felt before. Maybe it was the way the people looked at him, or maybe it was his forceful and vocal belief that "the poor shouldn't have poor solutions."

When he was little, Joe saw his grandfather feeding laborers, who were considered untouchables, from a hole in the ground. Joe asked why you'd feed someone like you'd feed a dog?

"Are they any better than dogs?" came the reply.

Thankfully, Joe didn't follow in his grandfather's footsteps, but began a more than three-decade fight to bring equality and end indignity for India's lowest caste.

He's done that using clean water and sanitation, and it's remarkable to watch his team at work - mobilizing communities to build toilets, showers and taps with the faith that he'll deliver. He always does, and it's an honor to do my part again with my 38th birthday and help 5 more villages in India get access to life's most basic need.

Please watch the video below, and if it inspires you as much I think it will, please consider donating. 100% goes directly to the field, and you'll be able to see photos and GPS coordinates of every project, and learn where ever dollar went.

Thanks so much for your generosity. Let's do this!