Tucked in a hillside overlooking a valley of vibrant green is the Destiny Village of Hope. It has reclaimed the lives of children abandoned in filthy slums or orphaned by AIDS.
Here, children in bright yellow uniforms eat three meals a day and receive the best schooling available. They learn how to laugh again. Life is better here.
And soon, thanks to funds raised, they’ll have a modern toilet system to replace the pit latrines so common in their country. This new system is considered state of the art in rural Uganda.
It’s considered normal in developed communities.
Before the children came to Destiny, they lived in the slums where raw sewage trickles down the roadways that most people travel by foot. Where there are virtually no improved water sources. Where surviving—not sanitation—is the prevailing thought in everyone’s mind.
This is the reality of 2.5 billion people on earth today—those who lack access to improved sanitation.
Did you know that 50 percent of the world’s hospitals are filled with people suffering from diseases related to dirty water, bad hygiene practices, and dangerous sanitation methods?
In 2013, 3.4 million people will die from a water-related illness like diarrhea. That’s enough to fill 45 superdomes.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In three weeks, we’ll be celebrating World Water Day. It’s not just a chance to talk about the global water and sanitation crisis, but it’s time to actually do something about it.
On March 22, we’re going to make a promise.
This pledge will be for the 2.5 billion people who lack access to improved sanitation. And we’re going to act on that promise—by raising funds to build clean water projects in dying communities, filthy slums, on the campuses of children’s homes, and more.
Here’s how you can join us:
1. Make your pledge by beginning your own World Water Day campaign here.
2. In the weeks leading up to World Water Day, tell everyone about your pledge to improve sanitation for the world’s most desperate communities. Share your campaign page through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Email—the options are limitless!
3. On World Water Day, act on your pledge. Give your best amount to improve sanitation and invite your friends to do the same.
Then, we’ll share the results of our pledge with the world—the stories of lives that will never be the same . . . because we made good on our promise to them.
