In honor of Earth Day and her 12th birthday, this week’s blog is written by our daughter Nandini.  Last April at 11 years old she began fundraising to build clean water wells for kids in remote villages.  This is her second year and today she shares her story of the Well India Project.

Join me in giving the gift of clean water to people who need it most!

Hi!  My name is Nandini and I am celebrating my 12th birthday this month and you can help me give the gift of water.

Last spring, I had an epiphany.  Everyone wants to do something to help people, and I had just figured out what I wanted to do.  It felt like God was sending me a message, and it came in a funny way.  I got my message in a catalog.

That day, I was very bored, home alone, and avoiding my homework.  Glancing through a catalog, I stopped at a page that spoke to me.  It was a water droplet.  That pure, clean, beautiful drop of water came from a well in Africa that helped an entire community stay on its feet.  I decided, then and there, that I wanted to be that water droplet.  I wanted to be part of something that would change people’s lives forever. 

Well, sometimes, God asks us to do scary things. The page said how much money it would cost to build a well, and, suddenly, I knew why so many people in this world don’t have access to clean water.  But I was determined to help rid the world of dehydration and preventable diseases from unclean water.

I figured out that there are wells that are less expensive to donate money to.    My mom 😉 found a website called The Water Project which let me start  my own fundraiser and my own webpage.  Last year for my birthday I raised $2,000.  This year I hope to meet my goal of $10,000 which could build 3 or more wells.  

My school is getting involved!

This year, I decided to raise more money by getting my middle school involved.  I have been talking to my principal and he has agreed to do a fundraiser in the spring for the Well India Project.  He told me that one of these projects usually raises a few thousand dollars.  My goal for the school is $3,000.  This will bring my total to $5,000 .  That will leave another $5,000 to be raised.  Let’s hope we make it!

Water is important to me for many reasons.

We take water for granted.  it is so easy for a person to get a drink of water from the sink.  We forget that this is a luxury that most people in Africa and other developing countries do not get.  Sometimes, they have to walk for miles just to get the water that we get instantly.

All of my pets need water to survive, including my fish.  Their water needs to be perfect and tested every month to make sure the fish can live in it.  You see, bad water is like poison to both fish and people; but good water is like magic.

If anything had magic, it would probably be water.  Empires rise and fall because of it.  Cities are destroyed because of water, or lack of it.  It connects everything in our world.  So, maybe we need to make a little magic happen for the people who need it most.

You can help me celebrate my 12th birthday by helping to build a well.

My fundraiser is with a non-profit called The Water Project.  If you would like to help build clean water wells for kids who need it most, please go to my website “Nandini’s Well India Project”  by clicking here and make a donation.  THANK YOU!!!

Let’s make every drop count!

-Nandini