You’ve heard the warnings before: don’t drink the water.
As someone that used to travel quite extensively for work, it’s a warning I would hear quite often. I spent more money buying bottled water in Hong Kong than I did on souvenirs and taxi fares; bottled water is more expensive than rum in the Dominican Republic; several of my friends were bedridden for days after drinking the tap water in Uganda. The stories are endless.
What about those people that can’t afford to buy bottled water? How do they heed the “don’t drink the water” signs?
That’s where charity: water comes in.
Charity: water is non-profit bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. There’s a lot more information over on their website, so I won’t say much more here — but I will tell you one way you can help the organization and have fun at the same time.
Twestivalicious.
You can help give to charity: water and have a great time by coming out to Twestival tonight. Twestival is a local gathering in dozens of cities around the world, bringing together a diverse group of people with all proceeds going to help bring drinking water to people who need it most.
Now sure, Twestival may not be as organic as other Twitter-run events like #hohoTO and participants may not feel the same kind of ownership over the event like they do with Twitter-initiated events like ChangeCamp, but those are criticisms for the organizers to consider for next time. Tonight, however, you’ve got a chance to help make a difference and meet all sorts of new and exciting people all at the same time.
I’ll be at the Twestival in DC, and I don’t know many people here, so if you’re in the area, buy your ticket and drop by Local 16 to say hullo.
You’ll be making the world a better place if you do.
Beautiful commerical. Very moving. It’s sad to know that this is happening all over the world… I hope we can all make a difference.
For those of you in Toronto, please come and say hello to me. This is my first “Twitter event”. Although I’m quite outgoing, this will be out of my “element”.. Anyways, I’ll have a booth there with an organization called Toronto Green Community. See you guys there!
[…] Sameer points to this effective ad for Charity:Water featuring the hotness that is Jennifer Connelly. Fetching celebrity + hot social media trend = victory. […]
Have fun at the Twestival in TO to both of you!
Kia ora Sameer
It’s a conundrum, isn’t it, that the colleages you spoke of who were bedridden with water borne ague were also educated people. But they would learn in time, I’ve no doubt. Some in the people in underdeveloped countries are neither educated nor able to learn what is causing their disease, let alone have the money to buy the precious water that might bring them a healthier life.
I lived in Africa with my parents for three years. The water where we lived was not drinkable. We boiled (and filtered) all our drinking water. The filtering was not essential for health; the boiling was. In all three years in Africa my family never had a day of sickness.
I think the charity water movement is superb. Clearly we also need other superb things to happen in these countries before the people living there do what my family did for three years while living in Africa.
Catchya later
Thanks for sharing that story Ken. You’re absolutely right, it’s not only about having the money to get better water, but about public health education as well. I really hope that the charity: water movement succeeds.