Mwalimu's Dream: Clean Water For His Village In Kenya-..

I was raised in a humble home in Kenya. My village is called Mariango (Bamba - Kilifi). I have a wonderful mother and father and siblings too. In my culture, you live with your grandparents and your parents. My grandfather was one of the most influential people in my life. He died when I was ten but I still remember the things he taught me. The greatest gift he gave me was teaching me to work hard and never give up. In my country, as a teenage boy, I go to a boarding school which is common. I am lucky because many students are not able to continue their education. My fortune increased when I applied for and earned a scholarship to come to America to study as an exchange student for ten months. This was based on my academic success and also, my English skills and interview abilities. The goal of the scholarship is to choose young leaders so they must have believed in me. Here in the United States I have seen many great and wonderful things. I am so thankful to be here on this exchange. One thing I noticed is the Americans have an abundance of clean drinking water. The same is not true in my country. We don't have clean water to drink in my own village. The lack of safe drinking water in Africa causes many severe problems including dehydration, starvation, and disease. Many children die mainly due to waterborne diseases. The water shortage in my country means many women and children spend up to one third of their day fetching water. My own mother experiences this every day of her life. It's no small task in rural Kenya to collect the water which is often polluted and dirty. Contamination from human and livestock waste is also a major cause of water-related diseases. Flies and other disease carrying insects are drawn to unsanitary water sites and compound the risk of infection. All of these problems are increased by the fact that economic hardship, inadequate education and lack of public transportation prevent many individuals from seeking healthcare in the early stages of an illness. The good news is that clean water is right underneath us. We must dig for it. It's amazing what a relatively small investment it takes to get to the clean water. But my village cannot afford the money it takes to make a difference is so many lives. My host family, friends and teachers from school, fellow exchange students along with my local coordinator and a pastor from Kenya decided to help me raise the money to dig a well in my village. All of these people were once strangers to me but now are like my family and willing to help. As the fundraising began, checks from Christians, Jewish people and Muslims too, were received. It's a very good thing because people of all faiths will drink from this new well. I look forward to the day my mother won't have to walk for miles to bring back water that isn't fit to drink. I am so thankful Americans are so generous and willing to help me. I know that more than one billion people on the planet do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. Even after my village gets a well, my dream continues for others who have this same need. Please consider doing what you can to stop this world-wide water crisis. There are many great organizations helping villages like mine. Please find one you trust and donate today. NOTE: Mwalimu returned to his village in June of 2012 and met the drill rig, truck and crew who were ready to begin to dig the well. This experienced drill team dug deep for three days and hit water on Mwalimu's birthday July 27. He began to send digital pictures back to his friends in Iowa. It's the day Mwalimu's dream came true. He will never forget!