Hey everyone. These past couple of years have given me such an amazing insight into my life and the world around us. Those of you that know me the best have seen me in moments that have left me scarred and broken. I have been fortunate enough to not only have survived my life so far, but I am finally beginning to find a calling in life that will not only give me the strength and purpose to continue to fight my own battles, but will allow me to live a life of charity, love, kindness and compassion.

People around the world worry every day about the one thing we possibly take the most for granted: water. We walk around all day with water bottles attached to our lips and fountains in every building. Some states even have laws requiring restaurants to offer free water to patrons. We fancy our lawns up and spread water among pretty flowers and plants and there's nothing wrong with that. We take hour long showers. Leave the water running while we brush our teeth. Wash small loads of clothing and dishes. But my concerns here aren't about our water situations or how we waste our own resources. "There are thirsty children in Africa." Well we're probably not going to be shipping our own water to the continent anytime soon. I bring our ideas of water up to illustrate a point.

In many places on the African continent there is little access to a resource we take for granted on a daily (and often hourly and minutely) basis here at home. Imagine walking 8 hours round trip to find adequate sources of water. Imagine carrying two full five gallon containers for four long hours back to your homes every day just to survive. Imagine how little we would be able to accomplish in terms of personal growth. How much do we hate 8 hour work days for that very reason?

I'm starting this fundraising page to raise money to fund a water well somewhere in Africa. ANYWHERE in Africa or anywhere else on the planet for that matter. I'm not sure what to expect in terms of what we'll be able to accomplish, but I fully intend to travel to Africa (I'm hoping for Rwanda or Uganda) after my graduation in December to volunteer with this amazing organization to not only prepare myself for graduate studies in the field of humanitarian work, but to finally do everything I've only been claiming to want to accomplish.

The bubble we all live in is SO incredibly small and there is SO much more on this planet that needs people like us to help change. We are the wealthiest, most privileged society in the history of man kind but we often fail to realize it. We worry every day about our weights, our cars, our pride, and our vanity. We get angry at left wingers and right wingers, people who cut us off on the freeway, our boyfriends and girlfriends. We walk around everyday concerned with as little as possible because our lives are wonderful without the worry.

Please help me with this relatively small goal. If you've got $5 or $10. Sacrifice two beers, a pack of smokes, a case of water, a trip to McDonald's. Donate that spare change jar to help people who are currently filling buckets with the same water animals bathe and defecate in. Water that children will wind up drinking for lack of anything better. Obviously the more we can raise the better. Any money required to get me to Africa will come out of my own pocket so anything we raise here will go directly to funding a permament water well somewhere where they NEED the money more than we do. Spread the word to people you know. Share this page with drunk friends (let's lower those charitable inhibitions!). Print some fliers and share them with your churches, youth groups, professors and classmates. Coworkers. Web forum pages. Talk about it with a friend on a crowded bus or in a crawded bar where even just one other person might hear and become interested.

Until I get there I'll be making this my main project next to school. Please, PLEASE give whatever you can. Treat yourself to a little compassion today and help someone somewhere you'll never meet or know to have one of the most basic necessities. Help me share life