On That Day I Wished I Was A Doctor
December 30, 2020
Mothers are ferocious warriors for their families. Today, those same mothers run businesses repairing boreholes, earning enough to feed their families, pay school fees, and even lend a hand to others.
When I was in South Sudan, I had a little girl tap me on the shoulder and ask if I was a doctor. Believe me when I say I have never re-thought my career more than I did at that moment. Her dad was dying from a disease easily treated in a wealthier country, and she was looking for someone who could help. Such is life in South Sudan.
People ask me why I support Water is Basic, and my answer is always the same: there's nothing more important than water. You can fund education, healthcare, or business, but it's all a house of cards without clean water.
But another reason I support Water is Basic is that our solutions are smart. For example, when the pandemic hit, we developed a new model that employs women, speeds up a well repair process, and does so for a fraction of the cost. If you haven't helped fund our Women & Water initiative, do it now. I have seen the inner workings of dozens of great non-profits, and there is no one operating as entrepreneurially and efficiently as Water is Basic.
But the third (and most important) reason I support Water is Basic is that I genuinely believe that the little girl I met deserves better. She deserves to be in school instead of fetching water four hours a day. She deserves to dream of a future without malnutrition and water-borne disease.
I will never understand why the lottery of birth put me in a country where I never have to think about water, and here in a country where it's always on her mind. I do know I can help. I'm not a doctor (I wish I were), but I have more than enough resources to make a dent in the water crisis––and you can too. Before the end of the year, I hope you think carefully about funding one of our projects and giving literal life to thousands of people who need it most in 2021.
