I know my cynical friends are going to be clicking off about now, but please bear with me. Though their site, linked at the bottom of the page so don’t get impatient, looks all “I’m a hipster, pop culture, flash in the pan activist, out to save the world this week, on to something else the next”, don’t let the fact that the guy has made spectacular use of social media and cyber technology deter your cynical selves.

“Charity Water” digs freshwater wells, rainwater catchments and sand filters, or restores older wells. That they show it off in a flashy format might be a turn-off to some, giving the illusion that they aren’t serious, more flash than anything else. Be wary though, as we go forward even the most viable of projects will have a pretty lively cyber facade, and it is not likely you’ll be able to judge a charity baseless just because they are more media and internet savy then the rest.

I was looking for some indication of comprehensive forethought about aftercare. What I found was that Charity Water and partners have implemented, and this is significant, a program to maintain the wells. As many of you know something that makes people wary of donating to projects such as this, and rightly so, is the fact that many of the projects out there lack of a program to sustain the project after it is complete, a fact which can lead to a solution becoming a non solution, and large waste of money, pretty quickly. In this case, after the well itself is dug or restored each community forms a water committee. These committees are educated about the importance of hand washing and proper sanitation, and are responsible for ensuring that the well stays clean and maintained.

That there is also some prologue to their aid — as shown below in this piece about a project they were on with one of their partners, Gram Vikas — bodes well for them.

Engreda was one of those projects, but the water running from their taps came at a higher price than our funding.The people had petitioned our implementing partner Gram Vikas to help them with the water problem. But before bringing clean water to Engreda, Gram Vikas asked villagers to give a year of their time to construct toilets and bathing rooms on faith. For over 30 years, Gram Vikas has taken a unique approach to development work. For them, sanitation is the key to good health, and community participation is the key to sustainability.

“Sanitation” meant toilets and showers here; “participation” – a year plus of hard work. Junash said Gram Vikas’s proposal was initially met with some resistance, as each of Engreda’s 130 families would have to do a “lot of work” that would cost “a lot of money.” For Gram Vikas to work in a community, 100% of the people must agree and contribute, and after a short time, they did.

Taken from Orissa, India. 58,345 hours for clean water.

Check it out, and do what you can, a dollar goes a long way when multiplied by 5000, so pass it on.

All proceeds (100 percent of the money raised) is directed to project costs, and funding sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need. The charity also works to raise awareness of the water crisis through events, fundraising exhibitions, and other public awareness campaigns.

You can join the 20 something campaign no matter what your age by donating at our special page at charity water.

title construed from an Albert Szent-Gyorgyi quote

peace

This is more significant than you might think at first pass.

The latest Carnival Against Sexual Violence is up at abyss2hope.

A book about water recommended by John:

I will be adding be a new category on the blog-roll for twenty-something bloggers. It is meant to incorporate some of the bloggers I am starting to read from20 Something Bloggers . I’m aware that some of you are twenty something and already on here under Mad Rabbits. You will remain A Mad Rabbit unless you request a transfer. For those of you no longer twenty-something who feel like you are twenty-something, you may have the option to switch to a category titled But I Feel Like I’m Twenty-Something.

I would be remiss not to offer as well a never wanna be twenty again category. This is a multipurpose category for cynics (formerly skeptics) to give the finger to 20 somethings, for those who are tired of being a Mad Rabbits, or for those who want to confuse the classifiers and instigate an increasing level of bureaucracy on this blog.

Peace

a comments off “for your information” production