Building a freshwater well can provide 250 people or more with clean and safe drinking water for up to 20 years. Often safe water is just 100-300 feet underground in aquifers, and charity: water gives communities the means to access it. Other solutions include well rehabilitations, spring protections, rainwater harvesting schemes and biosand filters. charity: water partners with organizations on the ground to implement clean water solutions and provide maintenance and hygiene training to communities. ALMOST 1 BILLION PEOPLE ON THE PLANET DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN, SAFE DRINKING WATER. charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Since the inception in August 2006, charity: water has funded over 1,549 freshwater projects in 16 different countries, serving over 820,675 people. Just $20 can give one person clean, safe drinking water for 20 years. A group of private donors, foundations and corporate sponsors help pay for the everyday costs of running charity: water so 100% of public donations go directly to water projects. charity: water proves each water project, connecting donors here with the people they’ve helped in developing nations. Using GPS technology, photography, video and the Internet, charity: water proves all work done in the field, telling stories of communities changed by clean and safe drinking water. THE FACTS. THE SOLUTIONS. CLOSING THE LOOP - PROVING IT. 100% OF PUBLIC DONATIONS GO TO WATER PROJECTS. ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 42,000 PEOPLE WILL DIE THIS WEEK FROM DISEASES RELATED TO POOR DRINKING WATER. 90% OF THEM WILL BE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 5. ALMOST ONE BILLION PEOPLE ON THE PLANET DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN, SAFE DRINKING WATER. 80% OF ALL SICKNESS ON THE PLANET IS CAUSED BY UNSAFE WATER AND LACK OF BASIC SANITATION. IT KILLS MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE, INCLUDING WAR. MILLIONS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING NATIONS WALK 3 MILES EVERY DAY TO GET WATER THAT IS LIKELY TO MAKE THEM SICK. charity: water charitywater.org | 200 Varick Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10014 | 646.688.2323 | [email protected]PAGE 1 OF 2 Valid as of 11.01.09
Transcript
Building a freshwater well can provide 250 people or more with clean and safe drinking water for up to 20 years. Often safe water is just 100-300 feet underground in aquifers, and charity: water gives communities the means to access it. Other solutions include well rehabilitations, spring protections, rainwater harvesting schemes and biosand filters. charity: water partners with organizations on the ground to implement clean water solutions and provide maintenance and hygiene training to communities.
ALMOST 1 BILLION PEOPLE ON THE PLANET DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN, SAFE DRINKING WATER. charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Since the inception in August 2006, charity: water has funded over 1,549 freshwater projects in 16 different countries, serving over 820,675 people. Just $20 can give one person clean, safe drinking water for 20 years.
A group of private donors, foundations and corporate sponsors help pay for the everyday costs of running charity: water so 100% of public donations go directly to water projects.
charity: water proves each water project, connecting donors here with the people they’ve helped in developing nations. Using GPS technology, photography, video and the Internet, charity: water proves all work done in the field, telling stories of communities changed by clean and safe drinking water.
42,000 PEOPLE WILL DIE THIS WEEK FROM DISEASES RELATED TO POOR DRINKING WATER. 90% OF THEM WILL BE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 5.
ALMOST ONE BILLION PEOPLE ON THE PLANET DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN, SAFE DRINKING WATER.
80% OF ALL SICKNESS ON THE PLANET IS CAUSED BY UNSAFE WATER AND LACK OF BASIC SANITATION. IT KILLS MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE, INCLUDING WAR.
MILLIONS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING NATIONS WALK 3 MILES EVERY DAY TO GET WATER THAT IS LIKELY TO MAKE THEM SICK.
c h a r i t y : w a t e r
charitywater.org | 200 Varick Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10014 | 646.688.2323 | [email protected] PAGE 1 OF 2
charitywater.org | 200 Varick Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10014 | 646.688.2323 | [email protected] PAGE 2 OF 2
charity: water has received over 300 press mentions including the following publications:
The following companies have helped charity: water bring clean, safe water to people in need.
c h a r i t y : w a t e r
w a t e r. It’s hard not to think about it nowdays. In the western world, we face growing concerns about our stewardship of the world’s most precious resource. There’s talk of shortages, evidence of reservoirs and aquifers drying up and of course, plenty of people who simply don’t care.
But forget about us. Most of us have never really been thirsty. We’ve never had to leave our houses and walk five miles to fetch water. We simply turn on the tap, and water comes out. Clean.
Yet almost one billion people on the planet don’t have clean water. It’s hard to imagine what a billion people looks like really, but one in eight might be easier. One in eight people in our world don’t have access to the most basic of human needs. Something we can’t imagine going 12 hours without.
Here, we’d like to introduce you to a few of those billion people. They are very real, and they need our help. They didn’t choose to be born into a village where the only source of water is a polluted swamp. And we didn’t choose to be born in a country where even the homeless have access to clean water and a toilet.
We invite you to put yourself in their shoes. Follow them on their daily journey. Carry 80 pounds of water in yellow fuel cans. Dig with their children in sand for water. Line up at a well and wait eight hours for a turn.
Now, make a decision to help. We’re not offering grand solutions and billion dollar schemes but instead, simple things that work. Things like freshwater wells, rainwater catchments and sand filters. For about $20 a person, we know how to help millions of people. Start by helping one.
charity: water gives 100% of the money raised to direct project costs, funding sustainable clean water solutionsÊ inÊ areasÊ of Ê greatestÊ need.Ê WeÊ workÊ toÊ raiseÊ awarenessÊ of Ê theÊ waterÊ crisisÊ throughÊ events,ÊfundraisingÊe xhibitionsÊa ndÊot herÊpub licÊa warenessÊc ampaigns.Ê
charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking waterÊ toÊ peopleÊ inÊ developingÊ nations.Ê $20 can give one person clean, safe drinking water for 20 years.
=
charitywater.org | We use 5 to 7 gallons of water to flush a toilet. That’s enough water to sustain one person for one day.04
4,500 children die each day from diseases caused by a lack of safe drinking water and proper sanitation. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a baby’s chance of dying from diarrhea is almost 520 times greater than here in theÊ US.Ê IllnessesÊ likeÊ diarrheaÊ areÊ causedÊ byÊ drinkingÊ contaminatedÊ waterÊ andÊ killÊ moreÊ thanÊ 2.2Ê millionÊpeople each year. That’s the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing every day. Children under five are the mostÊ susceptibleÊ toÊ water-borneÊ disease;Ê theirÊ developingÊ bodiesÊ oftenÊ failÊ toÊ withstandÊ theÊ amountÊ of ÊparasitesÊn ormallyÊf oundÊin Êc ontaminatedÊw aterÊs ources.ÊÊ
charitywater.org/whywater06 | A five minute shower uses 25 to 50 gallons of water, 5 times the amount needed to keep a human being alive for one day.
IÊ tookÊ thisÊ pictureÊ anÊ hourÊ southÊ of Ê Kigali,Ê Rwanda.Ê TheÊ countryÊ toÊ theÊ northÊ isÊ lushÊ andÊ beautiful-Ê yetÊan hour to the south, people are dying of thirst. Gathering muddy water daily from this ravine in 20-liter fuel cans, they haul it back to their village. Cow feces and urine make this water deadly, but as most here liveÊon Êl essÊt hanÊ$ 1Êa Êd ay,Êt heyÊc anÕ tÊa ffordÊt heÊc harcoalÊt oÊboil Êit .
spotlightÊ onÊ Rwanda.
charitywater.org
Where we work:
BangladeshCambodiaCentral African RepublicCote d’Ivoire Democratic Republic of CongoEthiopia HaitiHondurasIndiaKenyaLiberiaMalawiRwandaSierra LeoneTanzaniaUganda
08 | An automatic dishwasher uses 9 to 12 gallons of water. A person in the developing world uses 5 gallons all day to wash, cook and drink.
image on next page -ScottÊHa rrison
An average person in America uses about 150 gallons of waterÊda ilyÊt oÊc ook,Êc leanÊa ndÊdr ink.ÊA nÊa verageÊpe rsonÊin Êa developing nation struggles to find 5.
5G
averageÊ waterÊ use.
average american cOnSUmeS:average perSOn in adevelOping natiOn cOnSUmeS:150g/day 5g/day
charitywater.org12 | Every time we take a bath, we use about 36 gallons of water. We relax in enough water to keep a family of four alive for two days.
charity: water partners with local organizations on the ground to build and rehabilitate freshwater wells. Clean water can also be found by protecting mountain springs and catching rainwater. Underground aquifers provide safe, clean water and can typically be reached by drilling down 100 - 300 feet. Appropriate technologiesÊa reÊc rucialÊf orÊpr ovidingÊs ustainableÊs olutions.
FreshwaterÊs olutionsÊa reÊr eadilyÊa vailableÊa ndÊc anÊg iveÊc leanÊw aterÊt oÊa nÊaverage of 250 people for 20 years.
charitywater.org14 | Manufacturing your car used 39,000 gallons of water. That’s enough water to keep one person alive for almost 54 years.
charitywater.org16 | The amount of water it takes to refine one barrel of crude oil could sustain a village of 617 for a day.
howÊ is Ê a Ê projectÊ implemented?
FIRST. local water partners work with communities and the local government to identify areas of greatest need.
THEN. Working with charity: water, local partners draft a comprehensive action plan and budget. this plan details geo-
logical surveys and health data and how the local organization plans to implement the project to create sustainability. every
community is required to contribute materials, labor or nominal fees in order to increase ownership. all of charity: water’s
partners are registered non-profit organizations who are experts at water, sanitation and hygiene education.
HOW. Water availability varies by region, so projects must be appropriate to the communities and the local envi-
ronment. the types of projects we fund are hand-dug wells, drilled boreholes, rainwater collection tanks, pond sand
filters and spring protections. charity: water also funds rehabilitations of broken water points - retraining community
members in proper maintenance and care. every community is required to elect a water committee, who is responsible
for the long-term sustainability of the project. they also develop a business plan so they can purchase parts for future
repairs.
communities receive comprehensive sanitation training and hygiene education. Having bathroom facilities and
handwashing stations reduces disease and keeps the water point clean.
every partner conducts water quality testing before water can be consumed. this test determines if the water is free of
contaminates and harmful minerals- like arsenic or fluoride- and is safe to drink.
Individuals who sponsor $5,000 water projects are recognized by a virtual plaque published on Google Earth soÊt heyÊc anÊs eeÊe xactlyÊw hereÊt heirÊm oneyÊw ent.
charitywater.org20 | If all the world’s water were represented by one bathtub, a teaspoon would be the amount that is available for human use.
ImagineÊ if Ê NewÊ YorkÕ sÊ tapsÊ ranÊ dry.Ê Ê WhatÊ wouldÊ weÊ do?Ê Ê WeÕ dÊ probablyÊ walkÊ throughÊ theÊ streetsÊ inÊsearch of the nearest water source, in this case Central Park Pond, and have no choice but to bring the water home to serve to our families, to cook, clean and drink. This 60-second short allows us to imagine for a moment what life without clean water would be like in New York City.
Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly, Hotel Rwanda director Terry George-andÊ award-winningÊ cinematographerÊ EllenÊ KurasÊ volunteeredÊ theirÊ timeÊtoÊs hootÊour Êpub licÊs erviceÊa nnouncement.
charitywater.org/psa
publicÊ awareness.
22Ê | At any one time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from water-borne diseases.
The Water for Schools campaign aims to raise $2 million within the first year, giving 100 schools in developing countries clean, safe drinking water. Each group has a fundraising goal of $5,000 and the moneyÊis Êt henÊc ombinedÊw ithÊot herÊg roupsÊt oÊfun dÊa Êw aterÊpr ojectÊf orÊa Ês choolÊin Ên eed.Ê
24 | 50% of all schools around the world don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water.
mycharity:Ê waterÊ isÊ aÊ fundraisingÊ platformÊ thatÊ connectsÊ donorsÊ andÊ fundraisersÊ toÊ theÊ peopleÊ theyÕ reÊ serving.ÊEvery dollar raised on mycharity: water is tracked to a specific water project, and when work is complete, the projectsÊ areÊ provenÊ usingÊ GPSÊ coordinatesÊ andÊ photosÊ inÊ GoogleÊ Earth.
In September of 2008, over 800 people gave up birthday gifts and asked for donations from friends, family and strangers. Together with matching gifts, almost $1,000,000 was raised to bring clean water to peopleÊ inÊ Ethiopia.Ê WeÊ knewÊ theyÊ wereÊ onÊ toÊ something.Ê SinceÊ then,Ê weÕ veÊ beenÊ busyÊ buildingÊ aÊ websiteÊwhereÊ everybodyÊ canÊ useÊ theirÊ birthdays,Ê weddings,Ê anniversaries,Ê holidaysÊ orÊ fundraiseÊ justÊ becauseÊ -Ê allÊtoÊg iveÊpe opleÊc leanÊdr inkingÊw ater.Ê
26 | Many people in the developing world must walk more than three hours a day to fetch water.
The charity: ball is aimed to educate and engage viewers, connecting them first hand to the people andÊ communitiesÊ weÊ areÊ tryingÊ toÊ help.Ê ThroughoutÊ theÊ night,Ê guestsÊ areÊ givenÊ variousÊ waysÊ toÊ donateÊthroughÊ theÊ liveÊ &Ê silentÊ auction,Ê merchandiseÊ salesÊ andÊ theÊ waterwalk.Ê
TheÊcharity:ÊballÊ isÊ anÊannualÊ fundraisingÊgalaÊandÊphotography/multimediaÊexhibition held in New York City each December. The charity: ball has beenÊh ostedÊb yÊEn tourageÊs tarÊA drienÊGr enierÊa ndÊm odelÊJ essicaÊS tam.
the Ê charity: Ê ball.
charitywater.org/charityball28 | 90 percent of the population of Central African Republic does not have access to safe water.
New Yorkers are lucky to have the best filtered tap water in the country. We took samples of water from theÊ EastÊ River,Ê theÊ Hudson,Ê pondsÊ inÊ NewÊ JerseyÊ andÊ LongÊ IslandÊ andÊ showedÊ peopleÊ whatÊ theirÊ waterÊwouldÊl ookÊl ikeÊif Êt heyÊw ereÊf orcedÊt oÊr elyÊon Êa Êl ocalÊw aterÊs ource.
On September 22, 2006, we toured five of New York City’s top parks, including Union Square & Columbus Circle, with a 10-day outdoor exhibition.
theÊ NYC Ê parksÊ exhibition.
charitywater.org30 | Fetching water greatly reduces time available for raising children, generating income or attending school.
TheoryÊ createdÊ theÊ IconÊ ProjectÊ toÊ showcaseÊ theÊ developmentÊ andÊ exposureÊ of Ê visionaryÊ endeavors;Ê soÊwhen it came to water, Theory stores had a specific vision as well. The Theory designers in partnership withÊ LindaÊ Loudermilk,Ê createdÊ anÊ originalÊ lineÊ of Ê charity:Ê waterÊ gearÊ includingÊ hoodies,Ê t-shirtsÊ andÊ tankÊtops. The campaign raised over $87,000 throughout eight Theory stores worldwide.
In 2008, charity: water partnered with theory to create a water collection. 100% of the proceeds funded wells in Ethiopia.
TheoryÊ partnership.
charitywater.org/theory32 | By 2025, it is estimated that two thirds of the world’s population - about 5.5 billion people - will live in areas facing moderate to severe water stress.
ThroughÊ theÊ saleÊ of Ê signatureÊ t-shirtsÊ andÊ charity:Ê waterÊ braceletsÊ inÊ SaksÊ FifthÊ AvenueÊ storesÊ nationwide,ÊMother’s/Father’s Day campaigns, store window displays and a gala evening event in New York City. Saks Fifth Avenue has raised over $731, 000 for the cause. 100% of the money has funded projects in Central America, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa, providing safe drinking water to over 130 communities in need.
charitywater.org/saks34 | Watering a lawn uses 10 gallons per minute. Every minute your grass soaks up enough water to keep 2 people alive for a day.
081-785A
braceletA single bracelet can provide someone in need with safe water for fi ve years.
$5
Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness on the planet and kill 2.2 million people every year. charity: water is a nonprofi t
organization that builds freshwater wells in developing nations. 100% of all proceeds directly funds water project costs. To purchase bracelets,
ask any Saks Fifth Avenue Associate or for more information visit saks.com.
charitywater.org/media36 | Collecting water puts women and children at greater risk of sexual harassment and assault.
Clean, Sexy Water byÊ NicholasÊ Kristof
So many people in poor countries desperately need assistance. So many people in rich countries would like to help but fear their donations would line the pocket of a corrupt official or be lost in an aid bureaucracy. The result is a short circuit, leaving both sides unfulfilled.
That’s where Scott Harrison comes in.
Five years ago, Mr. Harrison was a nightclub promoter in Manhattan who spent his nights surrounded by friends in a blur of alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. He lived in a luxurious apartment and drove a BMW — but then on a vacation in South America he underwent a spiritual crisis.
“I realized I was the most selfish, sycophantic and miserable human being,” he recalled. “I was the worst person I knew.”
Mr. Harrison, now 33, found an aid organization that would accept him as a volunteer photographer — if he paid $500 a month to cover expenses. And so he did. The organization was Mercy Ships, a Christian aid group that performs surgeries in poor countries with volunteer doctors.
“The first person I photographed was a 14-year-old boy named Alfred, choking on a four-pound benign tumor in his mouth, filling up his whole mouth,” Mr. Harrison recalled. “He was suffocating on his own face. I just went into the corner and sobbed.”
A few weeks later, Mr. Harrison took Alfred — with the tumor now removed — back to his village in the West African country of Benin. “I saw everybody celebrating, because a few doctors had given up their vacation time,” he said.
Mercy Ships transformed Mr. Harrison as much as it did Alfred. Mr. Harrison returned to New York two years later with a plan: he would form a charity to provide clean water to save lives in poor countries. But by then, he was broke and sleeping on a friend’s couch.
Armed with nothing but a natural gift for promotion, and for wheedling donations from people, Mr. Harrison started his group, called charity: water — and it has been stunningly successful. In three years, he says, his group has raised $10 million (most of that last year alone) from 50,000 individual donors, providing clean water to nearly one million people in Africa and Asia.
The organization now has 11 full-time employees, almost twice as many unpaid interns, and more than half a million followers on Twitter (the United Nations has 3,000). New York City buses were plastered with free banners promoting his message, and Saks Fifth Avenue gave up its
store windows to spread Mr. Harrison’s gospel about the need for clean water in Africa. American schools are signing up to raise money to build wells for schools in poor countries.
“Scott is an important marketing machine, lifting one of the most critical issues of our time in a way that is sexy and incredibly compelling — that’s his gift,” said Jacqueline Novogratz, head of the Acumen Fund, which invests in poor countries to overcome poverty.
Mr. Harrison doesn’t actually do the tough aid work in the field. He partners with humanitarian organizations and pays them to dig wells. In effect, he’s a fund-raiser and marketer — but that’s often the most difficult piece of the aid puzzle.
So what’s his secret? Mr. Harrison’s success seems to depend on three precepts:
First, ensure that every penny from new donors will go to projects in the field. He accomplishes this by cajoling his 500 most committed donors to cover all administrative costs.
Second, show donors the specific impact of their contributions. Mr. Harrison grants naming rights to wells. He posts photos and G.P.S. coordinates so donors can look up their wells on Google Earth. And in September, Mr. Harrison is going to roll out a new Web site that will match even the smallest donation to a particular project that can be tracked online.
Third, leap into new media and social networks. This spring, charity: water raised $250,000 through a “Twestival” — a series of meetings among followers on Twitter. Last year, it raised $965,000 by asking people with September birthdays to forgo presents and instead solicit cash to build wells in Ethiopia. The campaign went viral on the Web, partly because Mr. Harrison invests in clever, often sassy videos.
One popular video shows well-heeled Manhattanites stepping out of their luxury buildings and lining up to fill jerrycans with dirty water from a lake in Central Park. We watch a mother offer the murky water to her small children — and the upbeat message is: you can help ensure that other people don’t have do that, either.
Mr. Harrison’s underlying idea is that giving should be joyous, an infectious pleasure at the capacity to bring about change.
“Guilt has never been part of it,” he said. “It’s excitement instead, presenting people with an opportunity — ‘you have an amazing chance to build a well!’
press.charity: water has been published in 300+ publications. Many donated free ad space to helpÊ raiseÊ awarenessÊ aboutÊ theÊ issue,Ê othersÊ contributedÊ byÊ writingÊ aboutÊ ourÊ work.
throughÊ aÊ separateÊ setÊ of Ê donorsÊ andÊ foundations.Ê Ê WeÊ payÊ forÊ everyÊ lightÊ bulb,Ê planeÊ ticketÊ andÊ staff Ê memberÊ separately,Ê soÊ everyÊ pennyÊ of Ê yourÊ moneyÊ
reachesÊt hoseÊin Ên eed.
WHERE yOUR MONEy gOES.WeÊ onlyÊ fundÊ directÊ costsÊ associatedÊ withÊ theÊ constructionÊ andÊ maintenanceÊ of Ê theÊ well,Ê suchÊ asÊ materialsÊ andÊ fuelÊ forÊ theÊ drillÊ rig.Ê Ê MoneyÊ isÊ alsoÊ allocatedÊ
theÊ effectivenessÊ of Ê theÊ well.Ê Ê InÊ otherÊ words,Ê weÊ explainÊ theÊ importanceÊ of Ê keepingÊ waterÊ containersÊ cleanÊ andÊ teachingÊ kidsÊ properÊ handwashingÊ methodsÊ
-Êbot hÊk eyÊfa ctorsÊin Ê improvingÊh ealthÊa ndÊr educingÊdis ease.Ê
CAN SpONSOR A FRESHWATER WELL AND gIvE A COMMUNITy OF 250 pEOpLE CLEAN, SAFE DRINKINg WATER FOR 20 yEARS.
CAN BUILD A WELL AND LATRINES IN A SCHOOL AND gIvE 1,000+ STUDENTS CLEAN, SAFE DRINKINg WATER AND SANITATION.
Once charity: water receives funding for a water project, we work with our implementing partners in the field to identify the most viable options, and the
actual community preparation and construction can begin. Water projects generally take 12-18 months to complete, at which point charity: water reports the
status to donors and uploads all photos to Google Earth. Each project has a virtual plaque recognizing the community and the individual or company who
