EXCITING UPDATE: I am delighted to announce that we have exceeded our goal of $10,000 thanks to a super-generous $1,000 matching donation from Christian and Theresa Rueb! Thank you to everyone who stepped up to push us to our goal. Your generosity will make a massive difference to the water quality in Indigenous communities in Canada.

BUSKING UPDATE: I have added another $174 in street donations, which makes a total of $1,240 from street busking proceeds. More to come...

Video of me in Edinburgh busking for clean water 

Please join me in supporting Water First’s mission to address drinking water challenges in Indigenous communities by donating on this GoFundMe page. Funds raised will go directly to Water First.

Water First is Canada’s leading charitable organization dedicated to working with Indigenous communities to address local water challenges through education, training, and meaningful collaboration. Despite Ontario having one of the greatest freshwater reserves in the world, many Indigenous communities living there face shocking water insecurity. For example, people living on First Nation reserves are 90 times more likely to be without running water than other Canadians and the number of water-borne infections in First Nation communities is 26 times higher than the national average. Contaminated water can cause skin conditions, bacterial infections, stomach illnesses, cancers, birth defects, and even death. To have water issues like this is inexcusable and perpetuates inequality of rights and opportunities for Indigenous people.

The water challenges faced by many Indigenous communities in Canada are complex. In some communities, the concern may be around infrastructure, for others, source water concerns. And some communities have challenges with capacity and training. Infrastructure alone cannot solve the water crisis; the people who run the systems are critical. Many Indigenous communities in Canada have identified the need for more young, qualified, and local personnel to support solving water issues, independently and for the long term. However, there is a lack of locally available opportunities for young adults to gain the relevant skills and experiences. Over the course of the next few months, I will be playing the Bagpipes in the streets of Edinburgh every weekend to help raise funds for this amazing cause. You can see me at work in the following YouTube short.