First, introductions.
Cubby Graham, Content Lead
10 years at charity: water
Cubby is the expert behind our social media strategy. He’s also a gifted photographer — If a charity: water photo has ever taken your breath away, he probably captured it. In the two years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen Cubby without a camera in hand. Although, honestly, my favorite content from him is videos of his dog, Rory, and their sweet reunions each time he returns from a trip to the field. The mutual joy is truly too precious for words.
(While you’re here, show Cubby some love and give charity: water a follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.)
Bailey Jurgens, Senior Copywriter
2 years at charity: water
If you thought copywriting was only about words on a page (or a screen), think again. Bailey is the queen of curating 3-dimensional storytelling experiences. Her words have graced billboards in Times Square and 360-degree screens in California. But she’s just as gifted in the field, treating people with the same care she does writing projects. If you’ve read her Sierra Leone travel diary, I’m sure you agree.
What was your favorite moment from the trip?
Cubby: “I still get chills when I think about the moment the drilling rig arrived in a community we were visiting. The years of work that led up to that moment, the community anticipation gave way to celebration, singing, and dancing as the drilling rig blasted its air horn. I’ll never forget that moment.”
Bailey: “Just one favorite moment? There are too many! Here are my top three.
- When Mariama Jr. invited me to get up and dance with her — in the middle of an interview!
- I asked Thiamu, a local pump mechanic, if he considered himself an expert in hand pumps. His response? ‘No, I consider myself a professor of hand pumps.’
- When we found out that a community we had visited would be getting clean water very, very soon.
Most of all, and overall, I loved watching our local partner GOAL do what they do best. What a team of talented and compassionate experts!”
We share a lot of stories with The Spring about the transformative impact of clean water, but you two got to see it first-hand! What was the biggest change you witnessed?
Cubby: “While visiting one of the communities that was on track to receive a charity: water funded water project, the community leaders and GOAL team led us to the current water source that they were collecting from. In the 10 years working with charity: water, I’d never seen anything like what I was about to witness.
We followed a winding trail lined with lush plants and banana trees, which led to an opening that overlooked a stagnant stream. The rustic orange color of the water was the first thing I noticed. We walked down a steep and slippery embankment, one that women and girls would use multiple times a day to collect water for their families. As we approached the edge of the water and started to look past the reflection of the trees, it became clear to the team why families here were getting so sick.
The murky surface of the water was fogged by floating debris while flies and dragonflies zoomed along the bank. But as I looked a bit closer, I noticed some movement under the surface that caught my eye. I decided to use my waterproof iPhone to get a closer look. As I lowered my phone into the water, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were what had to be thousands and thousands of bright pink blood worms wriggling their bodies in a figure-eight motion as they tunneled through the mud and clung to the leaves and sticks under the surface.
I immediately wished I could unsee it. But I can’t.
This was the reality that families can’t escape and I can’t unsee. But this reality was all about to change. I sat there in silence for a few minutes as I reflected on what I just witnessed on my camera roll. Everything was about to change for families living here. The change that our local partner GOAL makes happen each and every day.”
Bailey: “The biggest change we witnessed has to be the difference between sickness and health.
It’s so easy for our Copywriting team to quickly type sentences like, ‘Clean water improves health,’ without really thinking about what it means. Then, suddenly, you find yourself in Sierra Leone sitting across from someone as they tell you their most devastating story. Hospital stays, emergency operations, excruciating walks to the closest health clinic — hoping and praying that your baby will get treatment in time …
As I listened, the weight and the worry created by dirty water were palpable, heavy, and impossible to ignore. But you could also feel the relief and the levity created by clean water.
The difference between the two environments (clean water vs. dirty water) was stark, and honestly, motivating. People shouldn’t be suffering like this when we know how to solve the problem.”
In a word, how would you describe GOAL?
Cubby: “Dedicated.”
Bailey: “Unstoppable.”
In a word, how would you describe Sierra Leone?
Bailey: “Vibrant.”
What’s one story/person that stuck out to you?
Cubby: “I can’t wait for you to meet Thomas from the GOAL team! Thomas and his team’s commitment to complete coverage and to reach each and every community is just such an inspiration. They have decades of experience and bring so much care and expertise into each and every project. I loved seeing their passion for building strong long-lasting and community-led clean water projects, and was deeply moved by their dedication to ‘reaching the unreachable’. It reminded me of the dedication of our Spring members who give month in and month out, an unstoppable commitment to bringing clean and safe water to people around the world.”
Thank you so much for your time today! I can’t wait for your responses to make their way to Spring members. One last question: You get to know your coworkers really well between those all-day flights, midnight peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and 3-hour van rides. Any superlatives?
