Chirky

I'm constantly aware of how much Roger and I have, and how much we take advantage of what we have. In the west, we live like kings among the paupers of the world, and it breaks my heart. We've been wanting to get involved in a project that has a lasting impact in this world, a project that fits a tangible need among those whose needs are much greater than our own.

In light of this, and in light of this upcoming Season of Giving, I'm brining you a public service announcement about an effort that has Roger and I both very exicted.

What if this was your drinking water?
If you lived in Sudan, it would be.

One in every four children in Southern Sudan dies before the age of 5; nearly half of those deaths are caused by water-related illnesses. --U.S. Agency for International Development

Roger and I have decided to partner with an organization called Water is Basic that is raising money to purchase drilling equipment and provide training to Sudanese leaders. The goal is to enable the Sudanese nationals to drill a water well in every village, providing, in some cases, more than 2000 residents in each village with clean water. Drilling wells in these communities will forever transform the living conditions of the people of Sudan.

In a country where over 42 percent of the population has no access to safe water, and only 36 percent have a toilet, clean drinking water is a desperate need. According to the UN, waterborne diseases kill four children worldwide per minute (one child every 15 seconds). The Sudan is no exception.

On average, a home in the west uses over 100 gallons of water each day. In contrast, an entire African family uses about five gallons of water each day. Just one flush of a toilet in the West uses more water than most Africans have to perform an entire day's washing, cleaning, cooking and drinking.

Roger and I are excited about this project and what these wells could mean to the people of Sudan. What's more, our hope is that this organization will branch out from Sudan once the country's water needs are met, and continue this relief effort throughout the continent of Africa and then the world.

If you would like to join Roger and I in supporting this effort, please visit the Water is Basic donation page, where you can give money online and/or learn creative ways to help raise money. (All gifts are tax-deductible.)

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