A few years ago, seven friends and I visited Losirwa, a Maasai village two hours west of Arusha, Tanzania. The people laugh easily and have heart-warming senses of humor. They were welcoming and generous despite a very hard life by our standards.

Can you imagine walking four hours, each way, every day for water to brush your teeth or feed your animals? Among their many responsibilities, the Losirwa women spend most of every day walking for water for their families and livestock. If they're lucky, they have 4x4s (donkeys) to carry the water. But whether or not they own a donkey, they all have to walk the long distance, sometimes carrying 5-gallon water containers on their heads and babies on their backs. Sometimes in the oppressive heat. Sometimes in the pouring rain. A gallon of water weighs 8.3 lbs meaning they are carrying 41 pounds on their heads for the four-hour trek home. Because water gathering is such an arduous task, Maasai women shave their heads, not wanting to waste precious water on hair washing.

Where there's a well, there's a better way.

This campaign, Wishing for a Well, is raising money to drill a well for a new school that Friends of Meali* is building near the Losirwa Primary School. Your donation will help bring clean, safe drinking water directly to nearly 1,000 Losirwa children and adults and lighten the daily burden on these lovely, hard-working women. The well will run on solar power, and our fundraising goal covers the cost of drilling, solar panels and all of the equipment needed to provide a functional well.

Most of us take access to clean water for granted. But, for many, water is a precious dream. Our Tanzanian coordinator, Lucas Mhina, says the villagers are hopeful and excited about this possibility and what it will mean to them.

https://YouTu.be/T2P_ek06zZw

We live in a time when our world can feel upside down and overwhelming. It's easy to forget that there are people in the world who need us and that we can solve their problems quickly. This campaign for water is an opportunity to give whatever you can and KNOW that you are accomplishing something good. And I promise to post photos and updates of our progress so you can look forward to happy news in your inbox for a change!

Giving is generous, whatever the amount.

Thank you.

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Your donation is tax-deductible. Your receipt will be from the PayPal Giving Fund, a 501(c)(3), but they will transfer the money to Friends of Meali. And because Board member contributions cover their overhead expenses, 100% of your donation goes directly to this project.

*Friends of Meali is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2009 (by other travelers who were hosted by the people of Losirwa) to provide schools and education for Tanzanian children. Working closely with the community, Friends of Meali has built three schools and served more than 2,000 children to date. If you’d like to learn more about their work, go to www.americanfriendsofmeali.org.