My name was Massani. I would have
been four years old, but I died today. I
was playing the Ugandan game of kakopi with my friends when I began to feel
sick and I didn’t want to play
anymore. I ran to my mama and
said, “Mama, mimi ni mgonjwa” which means, Mama, I feel sick.
She felt my forehead and tried her remedy, but
it did not help. Nothing helped to cool
down my warming body. Then the diarrhea
came. I felt so weak. I could tell that my mama was worried. Mama always knew how to make me feel better. Not this time. She carried me to the nearest clinic which
was three hours away and waited hours in line with my limp body, glad I was
asleep. She did not want to see me cry,
but after five hours in line, the doctor told her I was asleep forever. The doctor explained that my use of unclean
water caused typhoid fever which caused my death. He sees hundreds of cases such as these.
In fact,
according to the World Health Organization over 2 million children die yearly
because they do not have access to clean drinking water.
Massani
symbolizes the massive problem of contaminated drinking water affecting poor
countries around the world: Kenya, Ghana, India, Equador, Haiti and so many more.
The doctor
could not help Massani, but there are many people around the world who have
decided to get involved. Dick and Terri Greenly
of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma are working hard to prevent deaths like Massani’s
from happening again. They have seen the impact of the global water crisis and refused to stand idly by. Instead they formed the Water4 Foundation, which
developed an affordable approach to reverse this catastrophe and provide access
to clean water for all by producing hand
drilling technology, so people in villages can dig their
own wells.
Your
generous donation can sponsor a well , and children like Massani will have
access to clean, life-giving water and pursue a productive life.
It’s
scandalous to think that anyone can enjoy the comfort of a hot cup of coffee or
a cool glass of water while families around the globe drink from waters that
are not fit for dogs. Millions are crying
out, “I am dying for lack of clean water.” Can you hear their plaintive voices?
Extend a
compassionate hand across the globe to offer a cup of cold water to a child in
need. Go to Water4
and make a
donation today. One well can cost
$600-$2000.00, and it can save an entire village. You can help defray costs so more mothers,
fathers and children can quench their thirst.
