HELP SHARE THE WORD - WATERisLIFE Fundraising Project on Crowdrise!

WATERisLIFE Director of WASH Education;  Jess Lusin.

The past two years have provided me with the incredible opportunity to continue the development of the WATERisLIFE WASH Education Program. As the WASH Director,  my focus is on water, sanitation, and hygiene education. The Hygiene Education Program is supplementary to the entire process WATERisLIFE presents to each community where we work. We understand that not every village encounters the same difficulties with their water source, sanitation and community health. Some of the solutions we provide are filter straws, bucket filter systems, pumps repair, wells, or in ground water systems - in tandem with pit latrines, and innovative sanitation solutions.  The WASH Program is an important component of the overall goal to maintain a sustainable water and sanitation solution to transform the health of an entire community.  

Hygiene Education, when implemented correctly, can be transformational. Students listen. They watch, imitate, and retain the information they are given. They are eager and attentive. They share what they learn with their parents and families. In the past two years there has been  growth in the WiL WASH program. Our facilitators and participants are fully engaged in the program. Our program is supplemented with an excellent student activity book in partnership with Project WET. This student activity guidebook is culturally friendly with colored illustrations and in depth information on the following three topics; the awareness of germs, hand washing with soap, and the transport and consumption of clean water. Each of these topics are equally important in the WATERisLIFE WASH curriculum and the supplementary guidebook provides a visual aid that adds to the structure of the WiL program.

Healthy Habits - Healthy Lifestyle.  WATERisLIFE believes in an integrated approach - water, sanitation and hygiene solutions - to save lives and transform communities.

WATERisLIFE also distributes water filters with global partners and provides emergency relief filters where needed.

Check out Jess’ WATERisLIFE Hygiene Video to learn more about the WiL WASH Education Program - WiL Hygiene Program

In the Spring of 2010, Lindsey Andrews and her husband traveled to Ethiopia to adopt their two children.  While in the capital City of Addis Ababa she met a boy who struggled daily to find water for his family.  His story changed the way Lindsey and her family forever viewed water.  

Lindsey wrote the book - I Walk For Water - about this boy in Ethiopia whom she met - and his journey each day to obtain clean water.  It’s a fantastic and inspiring book for young and old.

As a mother, lawyer, blogger, and author, Lindsey created Hilarity Waters Press, a publishing company committed to telling stories that encourage, inspire and incite compassion.  You can order I Walk For Water directly from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.com or from her Blog  www.hilaritywaterspress.com. You can also contact Lindsey via email andrews.africabound@gmail and she retweets at @ethiopiabound.  Her book is illustrated by the talented Jerry Bennett.

Check out I Walk For Water - a great read that may change your perspective on water as you go about your day.  Thank you Lindsey for caring about those that do not have access to clean water in our world - and helping to create ways to bring them their most basic need.

WATERisLIFE will be working with teams in Kenya in July 2013.  Our work will be focused in the Kakamega area, as well as in Kisii.  WATERisLIFE will also work to repair a well in Kisumu area and start WATERisLIFE water solutions projects with Masai villages.  The teams are excited - and have begun preparation, planning and fundraising to bring clean water to so many in these areas.  They will also provide Hygiene education training and materials - and begin to develop water committees in remote Masai villages - to start planning and developing water solutions.  Exciting stuff for so many!  Check out how you can help bring clean water - http://waterislife.com/you-wil/

5:00am in Tamale - Northern Ghana.  Multiple calls to prayer battling for attention in the distance.  The birds are competing with their songs. The morning is cool, and calm.  Today is the last day in Tamale for the US WiL Team for now.  They are really excited to get back home and re-engage with their families, but mostly they are sad.  They will miss being here and working with Iddrisu - WiL Ghana Country Director - who is an outstanding young man, with a passion for helping his people.  The WiL team had a direct impact on over 2000 people this trip - and in a short time, made some incredible friends.  ”Many Ghanaian people in this area are desperate, but trying to help themselves.  They are humble, thankful, hard working, honest, with a strong sense of family and community.  I have been many places around our world, what this culture has is rare.  Yes, i am going to miss this place.”  ~ Mark Bender, Director of Water Projects.   This trip was very successful and we had a great team in to do some incredible work in the villages of Zali and Kpaachi yili.  We have been back to both communities several times after the project implementations last week. The bucket systems are working very very well, clean water is being produced and consumed in every household in both communities.  It is awesome to experience their sense of pride to offer you water when you visit.  And yes we have taken many drinks of water in both communities, where we never would have before - incredible WiL Bucket Systems!  The communities of Zali and Namdu have turned out in force to work hard in repairing the fence around their water source (dugout.) It is amazing to watch their hard work and committed ownership.  It is inspiring.  We are grateful for Summit Community Church and Odyssey Preparatory Academy in Arizona for their partnership to bring the gift of clean water to these villages. 

The newly formed water committees in each village have done an excellent job in organizing and motivating the communities around water, sanitation and hygiene.  Their passion is strong and their motivation is authentic.  They are excited to partner with WATERisLIFE and are truly making making a difference in their community.  We have worked with and reconnected with old friends and made new friends in the District.   WATERisLIFE is making a huge difference in northern Ghana, and helping to transform lives with clean water, sanitation and hygiene education.

We are so excited about the aggressive plans we have for the Districts of Tolon and Kumbungu.   There is so much work to do, and so many people to help, and we are driven to save lives and transform communities.   Great stuff is coming to Northern Ghana!  

I would like to introduce you to Iddrisu Aziz Abdul Boare.  We call him Iddrisu.  Iddrisu is sitting on a Yamaha AG 100 motorcycle.  This motorcycle is a blessing to him, and our continuing work to bring clean water to the Tolon and Kumbungu Districts in Northern Ghana.  But you ask, who is the lovely gal sitting on the motorcycle with Iddrisu?

Iddrisu is the WATERisLIFE Ghana Country Director.  He has worked with us for over 3 years, and has put himself through, and just recently graduated from the University for Development Studies in Wa, Ghana where he studied Integrated Development Studies with a focus on community development.

Iddrisu has been an incredible and integral partner and collaborator on the research and development of WATERisLIFE’s water project work in Ghana - and as matter of fact - was the individual who solely reached out and asked for help to bring clean water to districts in Northern Ghana.  So Northern Ghana thanks you Mr. Iddrisu!

Yesterday, Iddrisu was presented with this motorcycle that will not only provide transportation, but will be a key component in WiL’s work to complete 290 community profiles in Northern Ghana - with the goal to bring clean water to save lives and transform these villages.

Now back to the lovely gal.  This is Kori Fine.  She lives in Arizona.  WATERisLIFE shared the story how we are trying to raise the funding to get Iddrisu a motorcycle.  He is working - as a volunteer - every day as we continue our research and development work  in this area.   He is finding free motorcycle rides, paying for taxis, walking and traveling all over the Districts to take meetings, work on admin and research projects, developing partnerships and getting his daily work completed.  Somedays he would rise before 4 am to make sure that he would get into town to make a morning meeting.  Sometimes he would travel by multitude modes of transport each day to reach his destination in town - kind motor-bikers, bicycle rides, taxi cab friends, and walking. 

Back to Kori…who has traveled to Ghana on a previous WATERisLIFE team and knows Iddrisu.  When she shared the story we told of Iddrisu desperately needing a motorcycle to continue the WiL work - she shared the story with her family.

Kori’s husband, Jeff couldn’t stop thinking about how hard Iddrisu persists to travel to accomplish this important work -  and that Iddrisu is a volunteer for WiL.  Impressive, and eye opening.

Jeff decided to sell his Harley Davidson.  He put the money from the sale towards purchasing Iddrisu this Yamaha.  This is inspiration!  Changing the world comes in so many forms - and the gesture that was extended by Jeff and Kori Fine - is so overwhelming to all of us at WATERisLIFE.   Thank you for taking the time to listen to Iddrisu’s story, believing in Iddrisu and the work we are doing in Northern Ghana, to bring clean water - and transform 290 villages.

So Kori and Iddrisu - sitting on the Yamaha together yesterday.  A wonderful day of looking forward, planning big and believing that small things can truly change the world!  

Learn more about the WATERisLIFE Ghana Clean Water Project, follow our progress on WATERisLIFE facebook and DONATE to help bring clean water to villages in Northern Ghana.  

We, and Iddrisu thank you!

WATERisLIFE.  DOING GOOD. WELL

YESTERDAY. TODAY. TOMORROW

What a fantastic year of bringing clean water to thousands.  With your support, our teams have drilled and repaired wells, delivered personal water filters with hygiene education and provided home bucket systems to families in desperate need of a clean water source.  Schools, businesses, and individuals all over the world have raised funding in such cool ways to bring clean water to kids.  Check out some of their inspiring stories on WiL facebook.   2012 brought a great partnership with DDB NY Advertising Agency, together creating an incredible video that breaks the #firstworldproblems hashtag, opening eyes to over 2 million world wide - that our first world problems are not real problems.  Take a minute and check out this impactful video#firstworldproblems.

We are currently working on bringing WiL filters and hygiene education materials to 36,145 children in Northern Ghana.  Such fantastic work is continuing to raise funding to deliver filters to many communities and schools in South America, Africa, India and Haiti.  Wells are being planned for Haiti and Kenya and another shipment of home bucket filter systems are in transit to Northern Ghana this month.  2013 will bring incredible opportunities for short and long term water solutions, hygiene education in native languages, and monitoring systems to ensure sustainability for clean water sources.

The results of our work change everything.  Hours are restored each day - women can use their time to learn a trade, start a business and receive an income.  Children can receive an education/  Clean water will reduce sickness by almost a third.  Clean water transforms lives and communities.

WATERisLIFE offers a variety of areas for donors to be involved in delivering clean water.  Check out how you can make an impact today!  www.waterislife.com.  

Please consider WATERisLIFE for your end of the year giving - your generosity will exponentially generate such JOY this coming year!

DONATE TODAY - AND GIVE THE BEST GIFT OF ALL.  LIFE

WATERisLIFE 30.THiRTY runs for THiRTY days in December.  Our goal is to raise funding to bring clean drinking water to villages in desperate need in 2013.  With all of WATERisLIFE friends donating $30 in THiRTY Days, we can continue to directly make an impact, saving lives and transforming villages all over our world through the gift of clean water.  So many villages are counting on us to bring clean water to help save lives and transform their communities.

At WATERisLIFE, we address the water crisis one village at a time - through personal water filters, hygiene education, long-term clean water solutions and sustainability monitoring systems.

The Water Crisis Facts:

- 6500 people die each day from waterborne disease - 5000 of them are children

- 1 child dies every 15 seconds because of water related disease

- 1.8 million children die from diarrhea every year

- 880 million people lack access to safe water

With your end of the year donation – together we can raise the funding necessary to provide clean water to villages in Haiti, Kenya and Ghana and personal filters to thousands in 2013.   100% of your giving goes directly to providing clean water solutions.  WATERisLIFE will bring clean water to schools & villages to save and transform lives in 2013 

 What a great gift you are giving.  Life.

$30 in THiRTY Days.  Thank you for your donation - now watch your generosity exponentially bring JOY to those in need!  It’s going to be an incredible year!

http://www.waterislife.com/about/donations

WATERisLIFE is a 501(c)3 TAX ID #26-4470550.