This year a new group began on campus called Eleven. Eleven works with Blood:Water Mission to help raise awareness of the poor water quality in Africa. This lack of good water is harmful to the people of Africa in many ways. Diseases caused and continued by the water run rampant, and so much time must be invested in getting clean water that many suffer from poor education and other problem from the time it takes just to get a day's worth of clean water.
We have another function, however, because awareness is not enough. We also try to raise funds for Blood:Water Mission. This is where our name comes in. There are approximately 11,000 students enrolled at UCM. If those 11,000 students each donated $1.00 apiece, we could help Blood:Water Mission build 11 wells. That's our goal. We want to make a different and get 11 (at least) wells built. It costs $1,000.00 to build one well. The average American spends about $5.00 a week on drinks besides water. Imagine if for one week we took that money and donated it so others might have clean water. There wouldn't be a place left that didn't have clean water if we could get all of America to do this.
In that idea, we at Eleven have undertaken what we are calling "Two Weeks of Sacrifice." For two week, we drink nothing but water. We take the money we would have spent on soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, tea, coffee, etc., and instead donate it to the cause. I started this last week, and I am now on week two. I almost feel bad because I spend less than $5 weekly (on average) on drinks. So, in total, I'm only donating $6.00, for that's what I spend on average in two weeks on non-water drinks. Yet, this is how it goes I guess.
But something else strikes me. We are drinking only water for two weeks in spirit of people who can quite honestly have a better quality of health drinking alcohol over the water. It's ironic, no? I hope that Blood:Water Mission is able to reach it's goal of 1,000 wells. Clean Blood, Clean Water, Eleven.
No comments:
Post a Comment