Colorado State University graduates Juwon Melvin and Aaron Madonna, both 25, grew up in Denver's Montbello neighborhood. They met at a precollegiate summer program called Black Issues Forum. Personal hardships, including Melvin's father abandoning his family when Melvin was 8, and Madonna watching friends get caught up in gangs and drugs, inspired their volunteerism.
Their plan to help crystallized while Melvin traveled in Morocco, where he witnessed children who couldn't go to school because they had to walk for miles each day to find clean water.
"Education was the way out for us, and it can be the way out for the children we want to serve," Madonna said. "But when you are in survival mode and don't have basic needs met, you can't focus on school or take advantage of the opportunities it can give you."
Juwon called H2O for Life during the summer, and expressed their desire to support water projects in developing countries through a connection with H2O for Life in Nicaragua. They have chosen two schools in Nicaragua to benefit from their business plan. Thus far, the young men have raised $2000 and are on their way to their goal to raise $5000 for the schools. To read more, click on the link below.
http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_18879876#ixzz1Y4RN2my3
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Startling Water Facts!
As the school year begins, please take a look at updated Water Statistics!!
Can you imagine?
Across the world, about 884 million people suffer from a lack of access to water that is safe.
More than 3.5 million people will die every year due to sickness that is water-related.
A child dies from a water-related disease every 20 seconds.
Diarrhea kills more children under the age of 5 than malaria, measles, and AIDS combined; about 1.5 million each year.
Compared to richer people residing in the same city, less wealthy people are forced to pay between 5 to 10 times more for a liter of water.
An American who takes a shower lasting just five minutes already utilizes more water than an average person who lives in the slum of a developing country does in one entire day.
In the human body, more than 60 percent is made up of water.
While 75 percent of the surface of the globe is covered in water, 98 percent of that is unfit for drinking because it is saltwater.
An average human can only last for about a week without drinking any water.
Almost 4 trillion gallons of water are consumed in America each month.
A typical American utilizes 176 gallons of water every day, while the typical African family utilizes just 5 gallons of water every day.
(statistics provided by Seametrics)
We can change these statistics by funding water projects at schools in need around the world. Please choose a school project today. Learn about the global water crisis, and the actions that YOU can take to make a difference today, and every day!
Can you imagine?
Across the world, about 884 million people suffer from a lack of access to water that is safe.
More than 3.5 million people will die every year due to sickness that is water-related.
A child dies from a water-related disease every 20 seconds.
Diarrhea kills more children under the age of 5 than malaria, measles, and AIDS combined; about 1.5 million each year.
Compared to richer people residing in the same city, less wealthy people are forced to pay between 5 to 10 times more for a liter of water.
An American who takes a shower lasting just five minutes already utilizes more water than an average person who lives in the slum of a developing country does in one entire day.
In the human body, more than 60 percent is made up of water.
While 75 percent of the surface of the globe is covered in water, 98 percent of that is unfit for drinking because it is saltwater.
An average human can only last for about a week without drinking any water.
Almost 4 trillion gallons of water are consumed in America each month.
A typical American utilizes 176 gallons of water every day, while the typical African family utilizes just 5 gallons of water every day.
(statistics provided by Seametrics)
We can change these statistics by funding water projects at schools in need around the world. Please choose a school project today. Learn about the global water crisis, and the actions that YOU can take to make a difference today, and every day!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Clean Water Fuels Education:
Clean Water Fuels Education
Editor’s Note: As students head back to school, YSA is highlighting education and service in our Back to School Education blog series. Read blog posts from students, educators, and service-learning experts about their experiences with education and service.Chris Olmanson discovered his passion for serving others through the nonprofit, all-volunteer organization H2O for Life. He has organized three H2O for Life fundraisers, the first two at Wayzata High School in Minnesota and the most recent at Boston College (BC) in Massachusetts. He is a sophomore at BC, planning to major in international studies with a focus on social justice issues. Patty Hall, Co-founder of H2O for Life, also wrote blog post for our Education series and it is posted in an earlier post.
Everything started in 11th grade when I found out that my high school had partnered with a nonprofit called H2O for Life and we were supposed to raise $5,000 for a school in the Philippines that needed clean and accessible water. My high school needed suggestions to raise funds and I had an idea that could potentially work. I was a cross-country runner and baseball player up to this point in high school, but because of seasons riddled with injuries, I did not performed near the level that I had dreamed. In all honesty, I saw this opportunity as a way to make a name for myself, to do something significant after a slow-start to high school, and to have something to put on my college resume. Man, did I get way more in return.
I asked my brother and close friend for help to organize a walk-a-thon fundraiser. We gathered a group of students to walk two miles to and from school each day in December to raise money for H2O for Life. We received an overwhelming response as we ended up raising $25,000, allowing us to provide several more schools with water systems. H2O for Life then provided us with photos of the children that we were helping and pen pal letters from the students at the Philippines school. It was incredible because we had changed the lives of real kids! Before the water system, the kids walked hours every day to retrieve contaminated water; wasting time that could be spent in the classroom learning and often getting sick from this water. Also without accessible latrines, girls would often stop going to school once they reached puberty. It was incredible to think that our little fundraiser could change all of this.
I felt like I had a legitimate purpose in life through this fundraiser and wanted to continue my work, so we did it again my senior year and then I did one my freshman year in college. I definitely felt like there were kids depending on me to do this. I am planning on majoring in International Studies with a focus on social justice issues and I am particularly interested in helping solve the global water crisis. H2O for Life was a phenomenal charity to work with and I have them to thank for developing my passion to serve.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Youth engagement will change our world!
H2O for Life and our good friends at Youth Service America encourage all teachers and youth to find an issue that will feed your passion this school year. We at H2O for Life, feel very strongly that without access to a reliable water source, sanitation and hygiene education, nothing will change permanently for communities around he world. The current drought and horrific famine in Somalia and Kenya are examples of our "disaster relief" approach. If we could be more proactive and spend funds on sustainable projects, our dollars would be better spent. What if Somalia had adequate water resources? Perhaps they would be able to grow sufficient food. We know that by providing water, sanitation and hygiene education at schools, we are changing opportunities and changing lives for students and their entire communities. Won't you help us this year? Choose a school project. Your actions will make a difference.
Read our recent blog posted at YSA.org.
http://ysa.org/blog/2011/08/26/h2o-life
Read our recent blog posted at YSA.org.
http://ysa.org/blog/2011/08/26/h2o-life
Monday, August 15, 2011
Visit to Mozambique
Tom McDow, a great friend and supporter of H2O for Life recently visited 3 projects in Mozambique that received funding from H2O for Life schools. While visiting Zobue School, he re-connected with Janet, a young Peace Corps volunteer from Los Angeles, who is spending two years teaching at the school. Tom met her on a previous trip and asked her how the completion of the new well has affected the students and community. She responded by saying:
“It has transformed the community! Instead of walking 15 to 30 minutes to fetch water, or hand digging shallow holes in the dry river bed, the women now come to the school well and carry home fresh, clean water. Students who used to spend hours fetching water for their families now are able to attend school full days because the water well is so close. The well has improved both the health and the productivity of the village. And it is used all day long every day!”
We hear comments like this everyday from schools that have received water, sanitation and hygiene education projects. Your donations to H2O for Life, however large or small, are changing the world. Please continue to "think" about the water crisis, and take action to do what you can to be part of the change!
“It has transformed the community! Instead of walking 15 to 30 minutes to fetch water, or hand digging shallow holes in the dry river bed, the women now come to the school well and carry home fresh, clean water. Students who used to spend hours fetching water for their families now are able to attend school full days because the water well is so close. The well has improved both the health and the productivity of the village. And it is used all day long every day!”
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The following item is reposted with permission from the blog of Global Water Challenge
Tomorrow’s Smiles
Somewhere in the world, a broken water pump sits idle in a field. A few years ago, a well-intentioned group installed the system and captured terrific pictures of smiling children as the mayor cut the ribbon on the new pump. Clean, fresh water started flowing and the community sprang to life. Until the pump broke. Now, those children don’t smile as they miss school and trek long distances to fetch water from a dirty river. They don’t smile as their family and friends get sick from waterborne disease and they don’t smile when their community falters without safe water. The money that funded that pump has disappeared down drain and the good days of flowing water feel like a pipe dream.
Today, a group of leading organizations has united to make sure that the water never stops flowing. Over 20 organizations that work in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) have endorsed the WASH Sustainability Charter. This Charter is a collaboratively-developed mission and set of guiding principles that advance lasting solutions in WASH. Recognizing that a broken pump affects everyone, endorsers include donors, implementers, academics and WASH implementation coalitions. All have agreed to strive toward the key sustainability principles outlined in the Charter and will work together to encourage and empower all stakeholders to achieve these principles.
By aligning the WASH community around common principles and adopting these ideals in our work, we can do our part to keep clean water flowing and toilets working. By providing a consistent framework for ongoing learning, we can develop best practices that ensure solutions last for generations, not years.
Click here to read the Charter and join the movement.
(via Global Water Challenge)
Tomorrow’s Smiles
Somewhere in the world, a broken water pump sits idle in a field. A few years ago, a well-intentioned group installed the system and captured terrific pictures of smiling children as the mayor cut the ribbon on the new pump. Clean, fresh water started flowing and the community sprang to life. Until the pump broke. Now, those children don’t smile as they miss school and trek long distances to fetch water from a dirty river. They don’t smile as their family and friends get sick from waterborne disease and they don’t smile when their community falters without safe water. The money that funded that pump has disappeared down drain and the good days of flowing water feel like a pipe dream.
Today, a group of leading organizations has united to make sure that the water never stops flowing. Over 20 organizations that work in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) have endorsed the WASH Sustainability Charter. This Charter is a collaboratively-developed mission and set of guiding principles that advance lasting solutions in WASH. Recognizing that a broken pump affects everyone, endorsers include donors, implementers, academics and WASH implementation coalitions. All have agreed to strive toward the key sustainability principles outlined in the Charter and will work together to encourage and empower all stakeholders to achieve these principles.
By aligning the WASH community around common principles and adopting these ideals in our work, we can do our part to keep clean water flowing and toilets working. By providing a consistent framework for ongoing learning, we can develop best practices that ensure solutions last for generations, not years.
Click here to read the Charter and join the movement.
(via Global Water Challenge)
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Another GREAT year for H2O for Life schools!
H2O for Life would like to thank every school, group and individual donor that helped us raise close to $400,000 this year to bring water, sanitation and hygiene education to schools in need around the world. In the past four years, our schools have donated over 1 million dollars for the implementation of WASH projects in schools. (water, sanitation and hygiene education) That is incredible. Most of the funds are raised by youth through creation of multiple, inexpensive fund raising ideas. Students across the US, Canada and other schools from around the world that have joined us, have studied the issues of the global water crisis, and have said "enough is enough!" We can do something to change this. You, too, can get involved and help change and save lives! It's easy- and doesn't take the involvement of hundreds of people. Take a look at a recently posted video by Boston College on our facebook page. A small group of college students (10-12) funded a water project for Longa School in Tanzania.
Over these past four years, the staff and volunteers at H2O for Life have been amazed at the multitude of ideas that have been used by youth to engage their friends, schools and entire communities to take action. We want to share the ideas with you to help your project succeed. Our website, facebook page and our weekly newsletter will continue to add new ideas, new resources and support for you and your school to make a difference.
Our list of schools is being compiled now, with new additions being added daily. Please visit our available school partner list, choose a school today, and get ready to "Dig Deep" to be the change over the next school year. We have several exciting opportunities to share with you as the school year approaches- stay tuned!
Our newly revised educational tool-kit will also be available and in your hands by Sept. 1. The tool-kit again be available online as well.
H2O for Life schools have accomplished a lot in four years, but there is more to be done.
Join us today. Register your project online at http://www.h2oforlifeschools.org/ or call us! (651-756-7577)
Over these past four years, the staff and volunteers at H2O for Life have been amazed at the multitude of ideas that have been used by youth to engage their friends, schools and entire communities to take action. We want to share the ideas with you to help your project succeed. Our website, facebook page and our weekly newsletter will continue to add new ideas, new resources and support for you and your school to make a difference.
Our list of schools is being compiled now, with new additions being added daily. Please visit our available school partner list, choose a school today, and get ready to "Dig Deep" to be the change over the next school year. We have several exciting opportunities to share with you as the school year approaches- stay tuned!
Our newly revised educational tool-kit will also be available and in your hands by Sept. 1. The tool-kit again be available online as well.
H2O for Life schools have accomplished a lot in four years, but there is more to be done.
Join us today. Register your project online at http://www.h2oforlifeschools.org/ or call us! (651-756-7577)
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