Blog Action Day 2010

Jennifer Connelly in charity: water Public Service Announcement from charity: water on Vimeo.

Today is the day I normally post my 365 pictures for the week but I was lucky enough to hear that October 15th is Blog Action Day.  This is a day where bloggers from all over the world pledge to talk about a certain environmental issue.  The issue today is water so I decided to talk about an organization that I feel does so much to help with this issue around the world. 

I heard about Blog Action Day from Charity: Water.  This is such a great organization that raises money to build clean water wells in parts of the world where there is none.  As Americans we take clean water for granted.  Some people have never even tasted clean water in their entire lives!  People are dying just because they only water they have is dirty and contaminated so it makes them sick and sometimes kills them.

I recently read an article posted on facebook by Charity: Water about a boy named Tariku that really touched me so I thought I would share it with you.  Tariku was a four-year-old boy from Ethiopia who was adopted by an American family in Colorado Springs.  Tariku's mother told a story of a trip the family took to the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. not long ago.  Tariku saw the water fountain and leaned down to drink it.  His mother stopped him because the water was "dirty".  After she thought about it for a second she realized that Tariku had never seen water that clean before he came to America.  All of the water he drank in Africa was much more dirty than the water in the fountain.  We use water for decoration like it's an endless supply and some people are dying because they have no water to drink. 

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Tariku's mother asked him if he would be willing to give up birthday presents for his fifth birthday and instead ask for donations to build a well in the community he lived in when he was in Africa.  He did and he made $5000 in one week.  Amazing!  The well was built and he was so happy to see his community drinking clean water at last.  His family plans to continue this tradition with Tariku every year for the rest of his childhood.  Just think of all the clean water they are able to share with people.  It's pretty inspiring. 

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The thing that I find so amazing about Charity: Water is that they don't ask for large amounts of money.  They know not everyone can do a lot to help.  They just ask that everyone give a little.  It adds up.  The founder of Charity: Water, Scott Harrison, was just one man who wanted to do something to help.  Now he has started an entire movement to change the world. 

charity: water promo featuring "Time Bomb" by Beck from charity: water on Vimeo.

I encourage you to visit the Charity: Water website and educate yourself.  If you feel led to help they are a great organization to support.  You can also find a lot of information about water around the world and see what other bloggers have to say about the water crisis by visiting the website for Blog Action Day.

Since this is a crafty blog and not a deep world issue news blog, I thought it would be fun to come up with a craft project with a water theme to it...sort of.  I didn't come up with some big world changing idea.  I just stuck to what I know and love.  Can you guess what it is?  I plan to post my little water themed project and a little something special to me this evening so be sure to check back!  My 365 Project will be back on Saturday morning.  :-)