-from the desktop of Maureen Charles, ASR Board Secretary

Today is World Water Day, and in Aceh, Indonesia, where an estimated 160,000 people perished and over a million were displaced in the wake of the 2004 Tsunami, thousands of people have been without safe, clean, accessible water for over 7 years. 

Imagine all that ocean water rushing over your land, taking the leaves of your loved ones, and leaving you with no livelihood, and ironically, without water. Imagine going 7 years without a shower, unable to pour yourself or your child a glass of water without first hauling it for miles in heavy jugs or buckets…

In Aceh, women and girls walk miles a day carrying water and people bathe in polluted oceans that are routinely used as toilets. Long term progress on a variety of issues, including health, food security, gender equality, and environmental sustainability, is dependent on whether people have access to water that is safe to drink and and adequate for sanitation purposes.

Bio-Sand Filter

At Aid Still Required, one of the most elegant solutions that we fund is the building of eco-friendly sand filters that provide clean water in the villages of Aceh Province. It is an inexpensive, sustainable way to alter people’s lives. We also provide vocational training for women in the region. The two go hand-in-hand. Imagine the transformative power of shifting your efforts from hauling water to earning a living.

It is because of such leading edge thinking that I choose to serve on the Board of Aid Still Required. Every project is carefully vetted for green sustainability, transparency, and efficiency. Our focus is on self-reliance – equipping people with the resources they need to live in dignity, health and peace.

Please make a donation of any size today, and every time you drink water or take a shower or turn on the tap, remind yourself that you are making it possible for others to do the same.

To make sure that your money goes as far as possible, we partner with small, locally based nonprofits whom we carefully vet to ensure that funds are spent in efficient and appropriate ways.  In Aceh, $40 gives one family access to clean water; $125 sets up a family farm complete with trees for an orchard; $250 establishes a woman in a handicrafts business including small business training. 

Thank you for helping us send a Tsunami of Love to Indonesia on this World Water Day.

And if you are reading this after World Water Day, know that the need is there every day and far from being met. Consider joining me and the other ASR Angels by setting up an automatic monthly donation.

-Maureen