Why Water?

As I look to help out some people get some water, I wanted to post some info from their website:

Link to MyCharityWater Project

Also, I started this because I was joking with fellow gamers about getting my $2 from them, like the paper boy in Better off Dead.  So, I thought, how cool would it be if this joke turned into some good for some families that don't have access to clean water?

From the CharityWater.org website

Health and Sanitation

Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. (source) Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren't strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses.
90% of the 30,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are in children under five years old. (source) Many of these diseases are preventable. The WHO reports that over 3.6% of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. (source)

Women and Children

In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year just walking for water. Women and children usually bear the burden of water collection, walking miles to the nearest source, which is unprotected and likely to make them sick. (source)
Time spent walking and resulting diseases keep them from school, work and taking care of their families. Along their long walk, they're subjected to a greater risk of harassment and sexual assault. Hauling cans of water for long distances takes a toll on the spine and many women experience back pain early in life. With safe water nearby, women are free to pursue new opportunities and improve their families’ lives. Kids can earn their education and build the future of their communities.
A clean water project nearby means more than safe drinking water to women and children in developing nations; it means time, freedom and incentive to change their communities.

Economies & Communities

In Africa alone, the overall economic loss due to lack of safe water and sanitation is $28 billion, or about 5% of GDP. (source) In areas where gathering water is impossible, small-scale private water distributors charge full market prices, forcing the poorest households to spend up to 11% of their income on life's most basic need. (source) Even this water is most likely contaminated if it has been collected from unprotected rivers or ponds.

Food Supply

Feeding our world takes up to 90% of our freshwater withdrawals but many people in developing nations still don't have access to enough water for irrigation. When a water project is built in a community, members can often use the new water source to grow small gardens near their homes and secure their own food supply. Self-sufficient households are less affected by external conflict, famine or inadequate government services.

Gender Equality

All members – men and women -- are engaged in the construction and maintenance of their charity: water projects. When complete, 6-10 community members are appointed to the Water Committee and are responsible for overseeing the functionality of the water point. Water Committees are often the first chance for women to step into elected leadership roles. This new responsibility can restore dignity, initiative and equality to community members.

The Future

At the end of 2011, we reached two million people served. That’s a major achievement, but we have much more work to do. By 2050, the world's population is estimated to grow by three billion and 90% of this growth will be in the developing world. (source) Unless sustainable water solutions are scaled fast, regions already stressed for safe water sources will be over capacity. We’re expanding our reach to meet these demands and will not stop until every person has safe water to drink.

I lifted all this text, under the hands, from the Charity Water site.  Stealing from a charity, the shame!