River to Well Photo Competition
About Us
The Statistics
Nearly 1 billion people on this planet do not have access to clean drinking water. Unsafe water and the lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and more deaths than AIDS, cancer and war every single year.
Our planet is 97.5% salt water and 2.5% freshwater. Of that 2.5% freshwater, two-thirds is locked in glaciers and permanent snow cover. The issue is a matter of limited natural resources AND limited access. With only .007% of the world's freshwater readily accessible for direct human use, a primary solution for battling this global killer…drill wells.
Of the 3.5 million people who die from water-related diseases every year, 84% of those deaths are children 0-14 years of age. VISUALIZE THIS: A jumbo jet full of children, crashing every four hours – that's the impact of unsafe water. By the time you've read this, a child has died from a water-related disease – every 20 seconds.
A Trip
On a trip to South Africa in winter 2008, my fellow travelers and I found ourselves in the village of Ndhambi. We met the women and children, mothers and fathers who contribute to "THE STATISTICS." Ndhambi is a small village in the Limpopo, a region in northeastern South Africa next to the Mozambique and Zimbabwe borders. It was springtime, 90 degrees and humid. The people had no reliable source for clean water, and stories of villagers walking to a nearby river to gather water was a shocking reality. In Ndhambi, clean water was a "luxury" and gathering water was a daily chore and necessity.
Having learned of the world water crisis only a couple months before my arrival in South Africa, I wasn't prepared to stare into the very eyes of people who fight the battle for clean water and sanitation every single day of their lives. Sometime between attending a pre-school graduation at a local church-plant and taking photos of joyful children playing soccer, it hit me; I was going to help bring a well to the village of Ndhambi and hopefully other villages too.
An Idea
I have an immense passion for photography, but we have a love/hate relationship. I love seeing the world, traveling to new places and capturing moments and stories from life. I love backpacking and shooting mountain vistas just as much as I love getting candids of friends at the park, throwing a Frisbee and living life together. BUT there are times I dread tweaking the exposure, checking the aperture and the shutter speed, and ensuring proper white balance. One wrong setting could cost me that perfect shot.
One day, shortly after my return from South Africa, I was brainstorming ideas about how I was going to fund this well in Ndhambi. I wouldn't say it was an epiphany, but everything came together and the thought entered my mind: Why not use my passion for photography, my relationships in the community and my marketing degree – create a photo competition so artists and/or photography enthusiasts can compete and show off their talent WHILE meeting the needs of the world. EVERYONE loves photography, and ANYONE can be a photographer.
The Plan
It's simple – use 100% of the photo competition entry fees to fund the building of wells for communities in need. Seek other passionate people with talents and skills to help put together the River to Well Photo Competition, and invite the community/business owners to be involved by donating prizes, funds or services. Be a grass-roots initiative that works with trusted partners and friends on the ground to build and maintain a well, in addition to providing education on the importance of proper hygiene and sanitation and its role in preventing disease.
Our Impact
In 2009, River to Well's inaugural photo competition brought the first well to the village of Ndhambi, South Africa. More than 270 entries were accepted from eight different countries and over $5,000 was raised. This year, we plan to bring another well to Qwa-Dick, South Africa. In this village of 10,000, people rely on an engine to pump "clean" water from a nearby river. When the engine is out of order, women must walk to the river and carry water back to their homes and schools in five-gallon buckets. A centrally located well would make truly clean water available and accessible to everyone.
Join us in the battle for clean and drinkable water. Together, using our resources, we can fight this global crisis one well at a time. Take action and rescue mothers and fathers and their children from the water crisis affecting nearly 1 billion people around our world.