It's Christmastime, among other holidays, and it's a time when we often reflect on the year, and look forward to the year ahead. Granted, we also freak out about the fact that we still haven't finished our shopping, fret over gifts that need wrapping, and convulse at the mere thought of all the food that needs cooking; but all in all, it's a happy time. Even in the worst of times, we've got it pretty good here.
While we may spend our days pinching our pennies, wondering when things are going to get better (in about five years, if you're curious; sorry), there are people in the world in far dire straits than we. In honor of the season, and being thankful and hopeful, here are some of the causes I believe in because the reality that they need to exist kind of makes me sick.
charity: water is a pretty new charity; I believe they've only been around for a few years, but it's one I believe in. It's on the top of my list, actually. I've already decided that when I can start taking pictures for money, that the first $5,000 (every year) will go to charity: water so they can build a new well where it is needed.
charity: water exists to bring water to areas that have no access to clean water. To me, this is a travesty (that people don't have access to clean water, not the charity). If there is one thing that we take for granted in life, I think it is water. We use tons of water. We boil potatoes in it, make pretzels in it, boil bagels in it, take showers with it, wash our cars with it, et cetera. And yet, there are people who can't even get a glass of water, much less the gallons upon gallons that we use on a daily basis.
I don't know all of the statistics, but I also don't particularly care; ten people without water is too many. but according to charity: water, there are almost a billion people without access to water-- that's one in eight people. Almost every death resulting from unsafe, unhygienic water is a child. Bad water keeps children out of school and parents out of work. The walk to a water source can take a woman (because it's always the woman) three hours, the return trip carrying a forty pound jug of water, where they are extremely vulnerable to violence and sexual assault (among other things).
With a well in their community, this walk is transformed to only fifteen minutes (hooray! No more back pain!). Building wells employs local people, providing them with work. The wells also provide women with jobs, namely leadership positions which would otherwise be pretty much impossible. Wells allow for children to have safe drinking water, saving thousands of lives a year and allowing them to go to school because they are healthier. charity: water also provides the communities with latrines to emphasize sanitation and hygiene.
I really like this charity, and its rare to find a charity where 100% of your contribution actually goes to the charity's mission. Every single dime they get goes to building projects because all of their overhead is sponsored.
Twenty dollars can give one person with water for twenty years. This isn't one of those creepy "just thirty cents a day to sponsor Eli. You'll receive pictures and updates, et cetera" type deals. People are dying because they can't have a basic human necessity. Clean, safe water ought to be a human right, not a privilege, so give them money. Every $5,000 well provides water for 250 people. If you want to get something in return for your contribution (I understand, no worries), there are many gifts you can receive (or give to others). I'm partial to the Thermos. For $40 (that's, like, two DVDs) you can provide clean water to two people for 20 years and you get a sweet Thermos: win-win, no? I think the Photobook would make a good present too. Sitting on your (or someone elses) coffee table, it's sure to start up a conversation. The right kind of conversation.
Here's a video from a completed project:
This one isn't a charity; I'm just going to get it out there. But that doesn't make their mission any less worthwhile. Essentially, Toms is a company that will provide a pair of shoes for someone in need every time they sell a pair. They are for-profit, but there's no harm in that. I really like their shoes; they are extremely different from what we find here. They are (I believe) based on a shoe style from Argentina. The shoes are all pretty affordable, usually in the range of $60, some costing around $100.
I like these. They seem warm and fuzzy, but still stylish and masculine.
If you are looking for something more substantial for winter, they also offer boots. I like these ones, but these are also pretty agreeable.
We all buy lots of shoes every year, why not pick up a pair of unique, stylish shoes simultaneously helping someone desperately in need of shoes? (By the way, they have shoes for the ladies and children, too!)
K.I.N.D. (Kids In Need Of Desks)
I was watching The Last Word last night when I saw a segment on this charity run by UNICEF with MSNBC to provide desks to children in need of them in Africa. The segment started with a clip of Ann Coulter arguing that America is the most charitable country in the world, but that this is thanks to conservatives and not liberals, because liberals are apparently stingy or something. (Nevermind that progressive causes tend to focus on spreading wealth around, et cetera). Lawrence O'Donnell then went on to say that in a day his viewers had donated around a million dollars.
Regardless, kids need desks. Have you ever studies on the floor? Taken a test on the floor? It's not easy, I imagine, and is probably pretty discouraging, wouldn't you think? Each desk costs $48. That's probably what a nice bottle of wine costs. $48 provides a desk for two kids (hopefully they don't peek during those tests!), which is kind of a trivial amount, if you think about it. Want to outfit an entire classroom of thirty with desks? Only $720.
If you want to help provide desks to children in Malawi, head over to UNICEF and donate.
Here's the link.
Some statistics:
In Sub-Saharan Africa, forty-five million children don't go to school.
Only 20% of students who do go have desks.
Kids need desks, no matter where or who they are.
Be kind this holiday season (and beyond). There are people far worse off than we, and they can use some help.
0 comments:
Post a Comment