By Brian Johns, CEO
Last summer I became the new CEO of Water Ambassadors Canada. As you may know, this charity has worked hard for 20 years to bring clean water to as many people as possible. To date, we’ve delivered clean water solutions to over 300,000 people around the world. But I believe we can do even more!
The fact is, we haven’t been able to help everyone. There are thousands of communities around the world that still don’t have access to clean water. One major reason is that when water solutions are too difficult or expensive to deliver, the communities that need them get passed over. They can go decades without receiving any help. I believe we can do more to help those communities in deepest need.
That’s why, starting this July, we’re creating a new fundraiser called Birthdays for Water. It will allow our supporters to ‘donate’ their birthdays to the cause of clean water. By ‘donating’ your birthday to the cause of clean water, you can ask friends and family to help celebrate your special day by skipping the presents and instead make a donation in your honour to help fund a major clean water project.
We’ll identify a project in deep and urgent need and add up every dollar from the Birthdays for Water campaign until we can fully fund the water project. Once we do, we’ll pick a new project to help fund and keep the ball rolling. I’m so excited about this new fundraiser that I’m going to kick things off. I’ve set a personal goal to raise $12,500 for a major water project in Kenya by my birthday on July 24.
The Community: Kamreri in Homabay County, Kenya
Dollars raised through my birthday campaign will go towards a major water project for the Kamreri community in Homabay County, Kenya. Right now, the women and children of the community have to travel great distances, at huge risk to their safety, just to collect water. They face violent attacks by crocodiles, hippos, and even other people just to ensure their families have clean water to drink.
The Project: Drilling a Community Well
We know there’s a better solution, but it’s expensive and hard to deliver. Local hydrogeological studies have revealed that there is water located nearby, but it’s deep underground. If the community can gain access, the new clean water source would be steps away from a children’s school where children could focus on their education instead of the long walk to water.
To give the community access to this water, we will need to cover all the costs of drilling a well, installing a pump to bring the water to the surface, and delivering an elevated water tank to keep the water clean, safe, and ready to use.
We estimate it will cost at least $12,500 to connect this community with clean water. That’s why I’ve set my fundraising goal for that amount. We can’t let the Kamreri community go another year without safe access to clean water.
So make a donation and share my campaign with your networks on social media. Every bit helps deliver clean water to people in need!
