If the answer is absolutely nothing or what the heck are you talking about, don’t worry. Although 2015 is the last year of the UN’s International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015, their website for World Water Day leaves a lot to be desired. Links take you to the bottom of the page you requested rather than the top, the list of suggested activities for the day is somewhat lacking and the map showing events for World Water Day bizarrely insists that all 13 events in the US are being held in a small corner of Kansas (they are not). Oh, and there is the now obligatory request to use a hashtag on the day. That may be great for awareness, but it is unlikely to give someone access to clean water.
Poverty is Sexist
On March 8th we celebrated International Women’s Day, commemorating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future, all while reflecting on the inequities which still demand change.
Waking Up To Make A Difference
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Brush your teeth? Drink coffee? Take a shower? I bet that within the first hour of your day you are somehow using safe water. Safe water is so available, that we often overlook its importance.
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is a day for the world to reflect on the role on women and an occasion to congratulate all women around the world. At Wells Bring Hope we are honored to work with the women of Niger and to empower them through microfinance programs that transform their lives.
Wells Bring Empowerment
Two-thirds of Niger is covered by vast swathes of the Sahara desert. It’s hydro-climatic and geographic characteristics create difficult conditions for the country’s population of nearly 18 million. Droughts are common, food security issues are endemic, and are further exacerbated by the increasing arrival of refugees fleeing northern Nigeria and northern Mali. These conditions, when coupled with prevalent infectious disease and one of the lowest sanitation coverage rates in the world, leave the West African nation of Niger with some of the highest rates of malnutrition and mortality in the world. Niger, a country roughly twice the size of France, is the poorest country on earth.
The PEACE Fund’s Celebrity Tournament Was a Big Success!
Thanks to Adrian Paul of The PEACE Fund for throwing an incredibly sucessful celebrity poker tournament, which raised enough money for Wells Bring Hope to drill two wells in Niger!
Annual Fundraiser
As you drive east on Sunset Boulevard toward Beverly Hills, you’ll pass a house that’s sure to catch your eye. Its life-sized, amusing sculptures can’t be missed. You’ll ask yourself, “I wonder who lives there?” and “What else is behind those gates?”
Annual Volunteer BBQ
On July 13th, local Wells Bring Hope volunteers gathered at the home of Founder and President Barbara Goldberg for the annual summer barbecue.
Her Head
Near Ekuvukeni,
in Natal, South Africa,
a woman carries water on her head.
After a year of drought,
when one child in three is at risk of death,
she returns from a distant well,
carrying water on her head.
The Price of Water: Guatemala
According to the Water Resources Assessment of Guatemala compiled, US Army Corps of Engineers explains that, “The quality of surface water resources is generally fresh except along the coastal areas of the country. However, based on established biological and chemical standards, every water body in the country should be considered contaminated. In agricultural areas, pesticides are a primary source of contamination. Sewage from Guatemala City has caused the Rio Villalobos, which receives 60 percent of the sewage, and the Rio Las Vacas, which receives the remaining 40 percent of the sewage, to be considered the most contaminated streams in the country.”
