All of my birthdays have always been about stuff. Stuff I don't want, stuff I definitely don't need.
So this year, I'm giving my birthday up.
I'm turning 18, and instead of asking for gifts, I'm asking for any money from everyone I know. It's not going to me, though. All of it is going to build freshwater wells for people in developing nations.
A billion people in the world are living without clean water - but how much are they really living? Millions contract deadly diseases from contaminated water. 45,000 people will die this week alone. The lucky ones won't, but still walk hours each day to get dirty water to give to their families. There's also a starvation problem, right? But people can live 30-40 days without food. Without water, they can live up to 4 days.
There was a little girl in Africa that was carrying a jug of water. She would take a drink, and soon get sick because in that water were bacteria that some scientists haven't even dealt with before. She was so thirsty that she would drink from it again; and get sick, again.
My birthday wish this year is not for more gifts I don't need; it's to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion living without it. I want to make my birthday matter this year.
Please consider it.
Here's the link for more information:
Link for donating:
http://mycharitywater.org/waterforthem0420
please note: Because of charity: water's unique model, 100% of all donations go directly to direct water projects costs, and each donation is "proved" and tracked to the village it helped when projects are complete.
