Distance

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By Nick Baldry

It must be said that distance is a funny old thing. What we perceive as distant can vary by such great degrees that at times it can get a little ridiculous.

For example, a couple of weeks ago humanity reached one of its farthest points from home as the New Horizons spacecraft zipped past Pluto snapping photographs of the dwarf planet like an over eager tourist. That is a distance of roughly 71 million miles covered by our species in the name of exploration. At the same time, on a hot summer’s day, when I appear to have welded myself to the sofa in front of a baseball game or bad movie, the distance between myself and the fridge can seem insurmountable. Hiking through the foothills of my sitting room and traversing the barren wasteland that is my kitchen becomes an ‘epic’ journey of about 10 feet.

When you consider a journey of 71 million miles to the outer reaches of space and in the next breath one of 10 feet to the inner reaches of a mid-range Kenmore refrigerator and can say “wow, that seems so far” to both, it is safe to say we human beings have a difficult time getting a solid perspective on what is actually distant from us.

It is easy for Niger and its people to seem distant.

  • There are 7,318.82 miles separating me from my counterpart in Niamey for a start. But that is way too simple a measure. In some senses, the distance between someone like myself in the US and someone in Niger is far greater than that. Economically we are worlds apart.
  • GDP per capita in the US in 2007 was $128,620.23, in Niger $39,399.87.
  • In education we are worlds apart. The US has a 99% literacy rate compared to 28.7% in Niger (and only 15.1% for girls).

Frankly, I could go on explaining how a reader in the west and one in Niger live lives so far apart that there appears to be an insurmountable amount of distance, real and metaphorical, between us and them.

But I won’t.

I want to think about how close we are.

We are all parents, children, employers, employees, friends, family, teachers, students. It doesn’t matter that there are 7,318.82 miles between us. We have the same relationships and we have the same aspirations. We all want a better life for ourselves and our loved ones. These relationships and dreams are universal. No matter whether you are in a village in Niger or a suburb of Los Angeles, your daily struggle is all so that your children can live better lives than you did. Even though the struggles are remarkably different, we all have the same aim, to better our lots in life. That is something we have in common, a closeness that we share.

Donating to and volunteering with Wells Bring Hope allows us to help someone make their life better. It is a chance for you to reach over thousands of miles and pull someone closer to you by helping them with our common goal. To live a better life. The work they do achieves remarkable change in people’s lives, I implore you to help them continue to do that today.

Get involved by volunteering or starting a Water Circle today.

What Your Donations Bring

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By Alix Wachendorf

Recently, several stories have appeared in the press that mentioned charities and their dishonest fundraising efforts. One such story, released by ABC news, reported that a leukemia charity used less than one percent of its donations on its patients or programs.

We are very proud to say that 100% of all of your donations go directly to drilling wells, educating villagers on proper sanitation and hygiene, and providing women with microfinance training.. Niger is still the world’s poorest country and is only able to provide about ten percent of the wells its people need. With matched funds and additional, long-term support provided by our partner World Vision, each donation is multiplied 5 times.

Drilling a Well is a Complex and Costly Process

Along with World Vision, we work with highly trained and experienced local water engineers who drill the wells and tap into underground aquifers in Niger. Because water from underground aquifers is usually found as deep as 250-300 feet below ground, it takes heavy-duty machinery and several days to access it. Water samples must be sent to a lab to ensure safety and once approved, workers are able to install the equipment required to render the well operational.

Donations allow us to ensure sustainability

We are the only U.S.-based safe water foundation that works with each village for 15+ years beyond well drilling. This enables us to:

  • Instill good health habits and put practices in place that allow children to grow into their responsibilities as adults, which results in long lasting and generational change.
  • Involve village residents in maintaining the well, contribute to a repair fund, and learn to make repairs.
  • Teach villagers how to use drip farming techniques with their newly established supply of safe water. This results healthier diets and allows those with additional crops to sell them at the local market.

Wells Bring Hope ensures that all of our donations go to helping the people in the villages of Niger by providing access to safe water and sanitation. We are able to do this by keeping our overhead very low. We are a primarily volunteer-run organization with just one paid employee. All of our operating expenses are underwritten by our corporate partner Panda Restaurant Group, which enables us to direct 100% of every donor dollar to a well project.

Get involved by volunteering or starting a Water Circle today.

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Annual Volunteer Appreciation Barbecue

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We were surprised by an unusual summer storm, but the rain could not dampen the spirits of the volunteers and supporters who gathered at the home of WBH Founder and President Barbara Goldberg for the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Barbecue. Weather for the event started off warm and clear, but halfway through the skies darkened, and rain sent everyone scurrying. The team immediately rallied together to move the whole party inside in record time, and everyone quickly resumed eating, drinking, and enjoying each other's company inside Barbara's lovely home.

After everyone had a chance to fill their plates with barbecued chicken and salads, Barbara stood to thank all of the volunteers for their time and effort and to congratulate them on all they have done to help Wells Bring Hope achieve the incredible feat of funding 343 wells since 2008. Barbara also announced that, in response to the increasingly incidence of drought and famine in Niger, Wells Bring Hope has set the ambitious goal of drilling an additional 250 wells in the next three years. Finally, Barbara spoke briefly about the recent trip to Niger and welcomed special guests Sam Jackson and Kim Lorenz, both from our partner World Vision.

Next, Director of Operations Kate Cusimano announced the winners of the Volunteer of the Year Award. Rebecca Cover, Director of the Grant Team, and Norma Gutierrez, Social Media Team Manager, were the incredibly deserving recipients. Unfortunately, as both women live out of state, neither could accept her award in person, but we celebrated their accomplishments.

Finally, Director of Volunteer Management Ida Harding rose to praise the hard work of our incredible volunteer team. At any one time, there are roughly 50 active volunteers scattered across the country, and Wells Bring Hope could not fulfill its mission of saving lives with safe water without their dedication and support.

Special thanks to Helen Hasenfeld who took these terrific photos. What a photogenic group!

No Pain No Gain

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By Rania Mikhael

It’s a short phrase with a sophisticated meaning. It implies that that suffering is necessary in order to achieve something. We use this expression to encourage ourselves to work harder, to lose weight, or to achieve a new goal. We have the luxury of choosing to suffer and sacrifice in pursuit of our dreams, in pursuit of a better future.

People in developing countries, such as Niger, don’t have the luxury of that choice. Struggle and strife are a part of their daily lives. Their fight is not for a slimmer waist line or a faster marathon time. Their fight is for the basic human rights that we take for granted – water, sanitation, education.

Niger is the poorest country in the world where contaminated water kills innocent victims every day. It’s the infants and young children who suffer the most. People from industrialized parts of the world are disconnected from what happens in Africa.
Here are some facts that may surprise you:

• 780 million people live without clean drinking water.
• 2.5 billion people – including almost one billion children – live without basic sanitation.
• More people in the world have access to a cell phone than have access to a toilet.
• 80 percent of all sickness and disease worldwide is related to contaminated water, according to the World Health Organization.
• More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99 percent, occur in the developing world.

“It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding.” – Kahlil Gibran
Wells Bring Hope is committed to giving; we are committed to drilling wells to bring safe water and sanitation to rural villages in Niger. We are an organization with a vision for a better tomorrow.

We invite you to help us bring hope to Niger. Be part of a compassionate group of people whose aim is to bring a better tomorrow to those who endure the unimaginable pain of having to give contaminated water to their children.

Get involved by volunteering or starting a Water Circle today.

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Million Dollar Round Table Foundation Grant

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Through its charitable giving, the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table Foundation aims to build stronger families and communities around the globe. WBH supporter Judd Swarzman is a member of the Million Dollar Round Table, and on Wednesday, June 3rd , he and his wife Linda presented Wells Bring Hope with a $5,000 grant from the MDRT Foundation.

This grant, along with $600 in donations from other donors, will supply a rural village in Niger, West Africa with the life-saving gift of a safe-water well. We are incredibly grateful to the MDRT Foundation for the incredible work that they are doing around the globe.

We are very grateful to both Linda and Judd for initiating this grant and advocating for it. They have been loyal supporters of our cause and we greatly appreciate their support. We are proud to be the recipients of this grant.

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First Annual Donor Appreciation Event

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On the evening of Wednesday, June 3rd, the clouds parted and the sun appeared just in time for Wells Bring Hope’s First Annual Donor Appreciation Event. About fifty of Wells Bring Hope’s most enthusiastic supporters braved rush hour traffic to join us for dinner in Culver City. Ed Keebler, WBH’s newest board member, and his partner, Anne Dalton, generously hosted the evening at their fabulous restaurant – Bucato.

It was a time for mingling on the outdoor patio over wine, meeting other WBH committed donors and volunteers who shared the same appreciation for our work.

Guests enjoyed a four-course feast that began with home baked bread and olives that some of us couldn’t stop eating! Dinner also included two scrumptious pastas that Bucato makes in house and juicy Jidori chicken with kale.

A short video was shown based on a recent WBH team trip to Niger, revealing the enormous success of our economic development program for women. On a sad note, Founder, Barbara Goldberg revealed that the cycle of drought and famine is now almost a yearly occurrence, resulting in a more urgent need for clean water. To address this, WBH has set an ambitious goal of drilling 250 wells in the next three years.The evening ended with the presentation of a $5,000 grant from the Million Dollar Round Table by Linda and Judd Swarzman. Thank you to all of our generous supporters and Nichole Carlson, our marvelous Director of Special Events, for making the evening such a success!Save

Social Justice in 3rd Grade

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By Barbara Goldberg

One of the best invitations I’ve ever received was from a third grade class, made up of 7 and 8 year olds at NOW (New Open World) Academy. The invitation said that I, along with a few others, had been recognized as a “local hero” who has fought for social justice, and they wanted to present me with the “NOWbel Peace Prize.” What an honor!

{Invitation to NOWbel Prize Awards}

The invitation was handwritten and drawn by Romeo Sanchez, and it said this:

Dear NOWbel Prize Winner,
My name is Romeo Sanchez and I am a third grade student at New Open World Academy. Our school believes in social justice. We believe social justice is when we help others to make this world a better place for everybody. We would love to know what social justice means to you because we know that you do great things for others. Since we read many biographies, we thought it would be awesome and meaningful if we could interview and write a biography about our hero. That would be you!

Could you please visit our class so we can interview you? My hero is Martin Luther King because he was doing good things for people on the street and in different countries. Who is your hero? When I grow up, I want to be a soccer player so I can teach kids how to play soccer. Do you have any advice for me? I hope to meet you soon.

Sincerely,
Romeo Sanchez

On May 22nd, I met with and was interviewed by his class. I told them that my social justice hero was Nelson Mandela because he fought for equal rights for his people in South Africa for many, many years, suffering great personal hardship. He never gave up and finally achieved his goal of putting an end to apartheid.

I told them about the lack of safe water in Niger, about babies dying from unsafe water, and especially about girls their own age who could not get an education because they had to walk to find water. They readily understood what I said and thanked me for my dedication.

The award said: “In recognition for going above and beyond to make a positive difference and inspiring our children to take action.”

It was a joy to spend time with these kids because they have a vision of how to make the world a better place. They know the importance of working to make a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate. One might look at them and think that they are among the less fortunate but I’d say these are very lucky kids to be educated in such a positive atmosphere, in a small class, by a dedicated teacher, Ryoko Matsui.

Note: NOW Academy is located in Koreatown in Los Angeles, where the Ambassador Hotel used to be. It is one of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, a Title 1 school where 100% of its students qualify for free breakfast, lunch and other services.

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I Lived Mad Men

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By Barbara Goldberg

This week, when I was interviewed by Mother Love on LA Talk Radio, she asked me how I got into my first career, advertising. I told her that my best friend in high school had a father who knew someone high up at a Madison Avenue ad agency and he was going to get her a job there. That never happened but it planted a seed in my head: advertising sounded very glamorous—a place to be. It sure was.

As I was watching Mad Men last week, with only two more shows to go, I was astounded to realize how closely they re-created the very exciting world of advertising. It was the perfect backdrop to depict individual angst and the search for meaning in life.

Last week’s episode depicted the agency, Sterling, Cooper, merging with the industry giant Mc Erickson, where I had worked during same period in New York. I watched, wide-eyed as they mentioned “Carl, the associate creative director.” That was my friend and colleague, Carl Abrams, who held that title. Then they rattled off a few of McCann’s clients, NCR, Hilton International, all of whom were my clients at McCann! Matthew Weiner must be commended for portraying the accuracy of that time and place. Too bad he didn’t call me to consult for the show!

Mad Men aficionados will recall that when Sterling, Cooper announced the merger of their agency with McCann Erickson, there were moans and groans from the Creative department. That’s because McCann, being the largest ad agency in the world at the time, was not known for brilliant creative work. Unlike Doyle, Dane and Bernbach and Ogilvy & Mather who were known for innovative and memorable ad campaigns, McCann was run by “the suits,” the account executives who “managed” the clients. That meant taking them out to the best restaurants in town for their famous three martini lunches. I learned quickly that you never tried to plan a meeting with these guys in the afternoon— you’d find them with heads on their desks, out cold.

There was a vicious scene in last week’s episode of “Mad Men” when Joan, who rose to become a successful account executive with her own clients, challenged the top management of McCann. She was crushed, brutally, and even though she walked away with half a million dollars (that’s1970 dollars!), all that she had worked for fizzled. While that scenario likely came out of Matthew Weiner’s head, it was completely in character with the mentality of that agency. Women were not held in high regard.

How did I get to a lofty position of Research Director as a 26-year-old woman? It’s not what you think. More to come on that…

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NGO’S Must Choose Carefully Who They Get into Bed With

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By Barbara Goldberg

Someone who recently found out about our cause posed this question: “What are the politics and priorities of the government of Niger?” It’s an excellent question because many governments in the developing world are corrupt and notoriously guilty of siphoning off aid funds to enrich their own bank accounts. Some, like Nigeria, do little to ensure the safety of their people.

So what can we say about Niger, the country where Wells Bring Hope works exclusively?

  • It is a democracy and dedicated to preventing Boko Haram from making any inroads into their country.
  • It is part of a West African coalition helping the Nigerian government on wiping out Boko Haram.
  • Since it is the poorest country in the world, the government has limited resources to help its people and so it falls to NGO’s like us to help deliver basic human services like safe water. The government greatly values our work and cooperates at all levels.
  • Several years ago, there was a coup because the president liked being in office and even though his term was up, he was determined to stay. They threw him out.
  • From what I know, it is far less corrupt than other African nations, particularly Nigeria which is known for its corruption. Is it immune from corruption? I think not. But neither is our government!

What You Don’t Know About Africa

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By Barbara Goldberg

Most of us know little about the continent of Africa, and particularly how it compares to the rest of the world. Take a look at 8 maps that will change the way you look at Africa.

See how the world would look if it was measured by its wealth. Read how modern slavery is defined and where it is concentrated. See the dramatic difference between North and South Africa.

Snapshots of the planet at night from NASA reveal the energy poverty of Africa compared to the rest of the world. And, as you’ll read, energy poverty translates to poor health care, stifled economic growth, toxic fumes, limited or no education, and a lack of safety. This, we know and have seen first-hand in our visits to Niger. Take a look at these maps. It’s an eye-opener!