Huenu Solsona
You could call it the real survivor without the glitz of Hollywood.
On 1 April 2010, nine people from all over the world and I, will be boarding a boat and heading to a deserted island in South East Asia. There are no behind-the-scenes camera crews or the chance to win rewards or having to vote someone out.
What we are doing however, is trying to raise money for charity… I have personally chosen The Water Project, a charity that provides potable, drinking water to areas in Africa and other parts of the world where it is most needed. For years, this was my father’s job and I have seen what his work has done to help thousands of people who previously died from water born diseases or had to travel many kilometers every day just to get enough water to live. Still today, more than half the world’s population fetches their water – all you and I do is turn on the tap.
For our 30 day adventure, we will each have a 5 litre bag with essential tools such as knives, lighters and torches, but not much can fit in these bags and we will have no external help whatsoever. With these contents and whatever we can find on the island, we will have to survive for a full month in complete isolation in what will undoubtedly be the endurance test of a lifetime.
We will have to feed off the land and the sea and learn to live with nothing more than nature has provided, away from society and the comforts we are used to. We will experience starvation, sleep deprivation, extreme heat and humidity, wild animals and insects and above all, we’ll have to interact and survive with nine strangers, all with our own opinions and habits.
Continue Reading..
12.03.2010
Featured Fundraisers
We want to send out a very special word of thanks to Datum for their very generous donation of new office furniture.
The desks and chairs have made such a difference. We’ve happily said goodbye to our old sagging folding tables and broken chairs. And our new filing system (lots more drawers!) makes things so much more efficient around here.
We couldn’t be happier or more comfortable. Thanks!!!
Datum is a designer and manufacturer of durable, American-made storage systems, office equipment and furniture. Family owned and operated since 1968, Datum offers the industry’s most extensive warranty.
08.03.2010
Other News
This is an incredible story of generosity, faith and abundance…
Rebekah is a missionary living and serving in Monte Plata, Dominican Republic through Kids Alive, International. She serves in an orphanage and affiliated school nearby. As you’ll read in her own words, she understands living in difficult circumstances. But she also has a beautiful perspective on how all of us have something to give.
Recently she shared with us one of the most inspirational and encouraging stories of generosity we have ever heard. The efforts of her students to raise money for a well in Africa are both humbling and joy inducing.
We hope you are as moved as we were by what she and her friends in Monte Plata have accomplished. Giving out of poverty…grace abounds.
Read Rebekah’s inspiring account
23.02.2010
Featured Fundraisers
Thanks to the students of Canmore Collegiate! We received this note just a few days ago. Club Green will be following the progress of their project right here >>.
Here’s what they had to say about helping out!
Canmore Collegiate High School, nestled in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Alberta is home to a group of dedicated students under the name of Club Green. Our main project last year, April 2009, was called Camp Out for a Cause. We raised money for The Water Project to build a fresh water well in an African community. We put out coin collection jars around town, received pledges from friends and family and to raise the most money we camped in an outdoor sanctuary in our school for 24 hours. It was late in April when we did this so weather was not ideal…exactly what we wanted to raise money!! While we were in the middle of the circle (what we call it at our school) we picked up trash, dead growth and did some landscaping to help improve the vitality of it for the coming spring. It was a success! Our goal was $3000 to build a whole well, in the end we only made $1800 which was a lot short of our goal but we were very happy with the outcome. The money will go to help provide fresh water in an African community through a well being built.
Thank you for everything you do, it’s an extremely important cause.
From left – Brent Bittner, Emilie Gibeau, Michelle Chevalier, Haley Campbell, Morgan Schultz and Chloe Leblanc
10.03.2010
Featured Fundraisers
Our team in Kakamega was out recently with the students at the Nabongo Primary School preparing them for their upcoming well project.
Before a well is constructed, our partners spend time training the community or school in proper sanitation and hygiene.
Teaching why dirty water makes one sick is an important part of the process.
10.03.2010
Uncategorized
We wanted to say a special thanks to the Basin Youth Bells who raised money for a new well in Kenya back in July of 2009. Darla G. led this group of talented students as they held a benefit concert for The Water Project.
We love it when groups take the initiative to help and use their own unique gifts and abilities to make a difference.
Darla said…
“This group – Bronze Tigers – is one of my performing groups that chose to raise money to benefit children. This is our first project and it opened their eyes and brought them closer together.”
Follow updates from the well they funded here >>
22.02.2010
Featured Fundraisers
We received a note just a few days ago and were simply blown away by the efforts of an amazing young man named Nate. This past January, Nate raised over $14,000 by organizing a basketball shoot-out at his school. Amazing!
We’re so inspired when people like Nate hear about the need of clean water, and without any help simply step up, get involved and pull off an amazing fundraiser.
Now, we’ll be doing our part by sending 100% of the money Nate raised to the field, to build wells for schools in Kenya and Sudan, so students just like Nate can do some amazing things themselves!
Read more about Nate’s Fundraiser
17.02.2010
Featured Fundraisers
From the LWI Team…
As we have discussed, LWI has been – and will continue to be – invested in the long term water needs of Haiti. We are working to scale our operations to include 500 well rehabs in 2010. Just as a reference, our programs were completing between 200-300 a year, previously. This scale is possible, but we obviously need your help. As we each work with our constituent base, our common goal is not to see giving spike around this immediate disaster and then dwindle off when the media leaves. Rather, sustained investment in this program will allow the work to continue…. I think of the pressing need for all efforts of on-ground organizations in Haiti to immediately be able to scale, but to do so in a way that is sustainable.
We have found that the migration away from PaP has happened quickly. Our team is currently outside of PaP – and has repaired 9 wells so far (update was as of Friday – work occurred over the weekend). There is a lot of work ahead of us, and we are working to make sure that supplies are on the water to build our capacity. Our teams have reported that there are already people from PaP in Cap Haitian. So, we know from this point forward, work anywhere in the country is a response to this disaster.
After a phone call with our team in Haiti, LWI’s Haiti program director shared that the team indicated: “broken wells are everywhere; they said they could repair wells forever.”
Thank you for your partnership in assuring that long-term water needs are being met in Haiti. I have had an opportunity to keep in touch with many of you, and look forward to continuing to work towards a shared investment in rebuilding water infrastructure in Haiti.
25.01.2010
Project Updates
Just in from Stephen H., the drilling supervisor at WHI – our implementing partner in Sudan…
“We are finally finished drilling the well in Muresuk village and let me tell you it was one of the toughest wells we have drilled yet! We actually drilled two different holes. On the first attempt, we drilled all the way down to 100m (328ft) and only found a small amount of water. The amount of water was so small it didn’t keep the dust down as we drilled further.
Continue Reading..
20.01.2010
Completed Projects, WHI
