water changes everything

Ever think about all the different ways you used water today?

for me today- toilet flushes, washing hands, quenching my thirst, brushing my teeth, taking a shower, giving the animals water, watering my plants, washing off fruit and veggies, cleaning dishes, washing clothes and ice.   

For a moment: Imagine your life without access to clean water.

WATER CHANGES EVERYTHING...

please watch this video on the water crisis from Charity:Water

Today was Mission Sunday at our church for the kids Faith Zone at our church.

I was so excited to be asked to organize the "mission" for the children this year!   

It wasn't a difficult choice for me to choose which cause. 

For me the issue of access to clean and safe water in developing nations is huge.

Of course, I think of Tessa's birth place, Ethiopia.

I think of her drinking the enat water.

I remember the women carrying jugs of water.

It is a fact that if Tessa hadn't been placed into the care center

and had stayed in her rural community the chances of 

her surviving infancy would have been decreased dramatically.

Every 15 seconds another child dies from water related causes due to unsafe water.

Here are some more facts on water in Ethiopia:

• The need for water and sanitation in Ethiopia is severe. Only 22% of the population has access to an improved water supply. In rural areas, these numbers drop even further.

• In the last 20 years, Ethiopia has experienced droughts followed by food shortages and famines. In rural areas, women and children walk up to six hours to collect water. Most people collect water from shal- low ponds which they share with animals! Other people collect water from shallow wells. Both types of these sources are subject to contamination as rain water washes waste from surrounding areas into the source.

• Ethiopian women carry large clay jugs of water from ponds back to their villages. These jugs can weigh up to 40 pounds! Often, young children are left home by themselves or with a slightly older sibling while their mother and older siblings collect water and their father works tends to animals or tries to earn money at a job outside the house.

• Water-related diseases are among the principle causes of death in young children.

What we are going to do....

The h2o project!

The H2O project has inspired our children's Faith Zone to take this challege:

Make water your only beverage for 2 weeks. Save the money you would usually spend on beverages. After 2 weeks, donate the money you saved to the organization of your choice & give someone clean water for a lifetime.

H20 has a fantastic set of resources.....brochures, a score card to keep track of what you save on beverages, videos, posters, even a parent letter and statements to share with your organization.  There is so much more on H2O site to make this challenge a success! 

After we complete the H20 challenge, we are donating our $$

 raised to on organization that drills wells in developing nations.

we chose....

CHARITY: WATER

100% of the $$$ donated go directly to funding drilling wells in developing countries, like Ethiopia!

Today at church we introduced these ideas to the kids, watched the videos...the kids carried a 40 pound container of water, looked at their cups of dirty water an imagined life without clean water.  They are taking the challenge.

$1= clean water for 1 person for 1 year!!!

$10 = clean water for 1 person for life!!!!!

Our kids are taking the challenge....it is simple and necessary!!

join us!!!!