Imagine a swamp.
You can smell it before you see it. Flies dance on the surface of a green, stagnant film, congregating with the animals that come to drink from it several times a day. The water is still and dark, cloaking the debris, waste, and bacteria that lie hidden underneath.
This is where Moris, a poor peasant farmer in Uganda, collects water for his family.
As he fills several jerry cans with the gray, slimy liquid, he thinks of what brought him to the swamp that day. During the dry season in Eastern Africa, most water sources have dried up. Merchants sell water in the village, but at a very high price, leaving no other option but the swamp.
Moris wipes his brow with the back of his hand and peers into the muddy water. The trek to the swamp is miles away, a journey difficult even for Moris’s cows, which follow him there in the heat of the day. Will there be any end to this?
On the other side of the world lives another man under very different circumstances. He has seen and heard about people like Moris, who must sacrifice their health, safety, and opportunity for a better life because of the effects of dirty water. His name is Harvey.
Wanting to do something to help, Harvey organized a Turkey Trot run on Thanksgiving Day to benefit causelife.
Thanks to Harvey’s vision and the support of more than 600 runners, volunteers, and race sponsors, funds from last year’s race were used for a well drilled in Kamugombwa, Uganda—Moris’s home village.
Now, Moris’s family has access to clean, safe drinking water. His children are no longer sick, and his livestock are strong. Moris smiles at the future. That’s hope.
This Christmas, you have the opportunity to Change the Present and build the future of a community just like Harvey did. causelife’s Christmas goal is to provide five wells to communities in need through our Change the Present campaign. In order to reach our goal, we need to raise $25,000 for clean water by December 25, 2011. Your contribution can help save lives and bring hope within reach!
There are two ways you can join us:
1. Give a gift on behalf of someone else.
Rather than buying gifts for friends and family, make a donation of any amount on their behalf toward causelife. Your gift is tax deductible, and a personalized e-card will be sent to the recipient notifying them that a donation was made in their name.
2. Request water for Christmas.
Request donations in your name toward causelife for Christmas. In order to help you, we have developed an online platform where you can create your own fundraising page! The causelife staff has already started our own pages, so come join us!
Join us as we Change the Present . . . and build the future!