Recently I showed our award-winning film Ru to an auditorium of middle schoolers. Four hundred sixth, seventh, and eighth graders can be intimidating.
However, as soon as 12-year-old Jina arrives on the screen washing dishes and walking for water, they are hooked. I love the innocence of kids. When they see one 12-year-old girl suffering all the effects of dirty water - long walks, lack of education, hours wasted, sickness - they immediately insist on doing something about it.
I refuse to show Ru to students unless the teachers have a plan to do something about it! I know the kids will never be okay doing nothing.
That is the story of our work in South Sudan.
South Sudanese and Congolese leaders insisted water was number one on their list of priorities, so we have done the same. Thousands of donors have invested in doing something about it, and because they did, we have completed over 1,000 water projects!
Over a thousand fountains of hope and health, thousands upon thousands of stories of opportunity, and stories of hope renewed — stories like Alice, who has lost all of her children but is not hopeless. Alice returned to her village because we did something!
Now she is planting and investing in her grandchild’s future. Hope is a simple thing to give, and it usually involves saying yes to the need in front of us today.
I encourage you to say yes today to our work in South Sudan and DRC. Because water is STILL basic, and we must finish the job we set out to accomplish. With your help, now, we will move into 2020 fully stocked up and powered up to do something. Our goal is $200,000 by year-end, and you can help now.
Thank you for giving generously this year-end. Millions more like Alice are waiting on simple water, and together we will ensure they get it.
Water is STILL basic.
Stephen Roese, President and Co-founder
PS - Give water in lieu of a gift, and we will send you a Certificate to give a loved one. Just choose "honor someone" when you make your donation.
PSS - Those middle school kids? They raised $1250 to repair another well!
