I was born on September 11. My birthday has come to stand for something terrible. I want to reclaim that day and help make it represent something wonderful. Many thanks to Beth Kanter (http://twitter.com/kanter) for turning me on to the September campaign over at charity: water.
charity: water was founded two years ago after Scott Harrison visited Africa and saw the women and children spending a significant portion of their time trekking miles just to bring home dirty, poluted water. Last year, he turned 32 and asked people to donate $32 toward building wells in Kenya in lieu of birthday gifts. This year, both Scott and I turn 33. And I’m happy to be joining him in asking for just $33 toward a well in Ethiopia.
These kids need water a whole lot more than you or I need just about anything.
charity: water describes the “September Mission” this way: “most of us get presents on our birthday. lots of them are things we don’t really need. But in many places in the world, people don’t have access to the most basic necessity: clean, safe drinking water. because charity: water was born in september, we’re starting the september campaign. We’re asking everyone born in september to ask for donations instead of presents for their birthdays, and help give 150,000 people in Ethiopia acess to safe, clean drinking water.”
I think charity: water has been so successful in such a short period of time (having built hundreds of wells already) because they are pretty transparent. Donors and observers get to see the wells being built through live feeds (the first well in Ethiopia will go live on the site September 7. Watch it here), and they even use Google Earth to allow you to zoom in and see the wells long afterward.
[Update September 2009: A collection of new ideas for celebrating a 9/11 birthday found here]
Will You Please Be One of the 30?
My goal is to raise $1,000, which is enough to pay for 1/4th the cost of a well. I believe in the generosity of my family and friends, and of the extended philanthropic family I’ve come to know through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Even if you weren’t going to buy me a present personally (no offense taken), I hope you’ll help me reclaim 9/11 as a day of positive celebration and love of humanity.
Just follow this link to my charity: water September birthday page and donate. We only need 30 donors to reach $1000. Actually, since I just donated $40 (to cover my $33 and to make up some of the difference between $33×30 and $1,000), we only need 29 more donors. [update 9/11: so far we've raised $600 toward this goal! Thank you to all who have donated. Only 12 more people!]
And If you’re a September baby, start you own page! If you love someone born in September, you could donate in their name. And if you do nothing else, pass on this campaign. The direct link is www.borninseptember.org.
Other September Babies Speak
17 year-old Catherine Luu says “Can you imagine children younger than you and I not going to school in order to walk miles to a water source, that only contains filthy water? Well you don’t have to. 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean water. This year I turn 17, and instead of buying me a gift, please donate to this charitable cause.”
15-year-old Keely O’Laughlin says: “I’m turning 15 this year. In Australia we are having a drought, but we still have showers, clean water, swimming pools, and we waste billions of litres of water per year. These people can’t even safely get to their water holes, let alone get clean water they need. I have a responsibily to my fellow man to do what I can. $33 isn’t much to ask. It’s the price of a t-shirt, which we might not even wear often. Or 10 hot chocolates (no matter how good they are). A very small thing to give up for someone to live a bit easier.”
“thomas bouldin emery was born sept. 1 2008. his parents are committed to africa and helping to provide sustainable solutions to who we feel are some of the world’s most joyful but vulnerable people. In place of traditional gifts for his birthday, please consider donating to this great cause.”
Aileen Ryan is turning 21 this year and she says to her friends: “Many of you know me well enough to warrant our friendship with a present on my birthday and many of you don’t. But this year I’d like to ask everyone to donate their thoughtful idea of a gift to help build water wells to those in need. A present to me could bring a days worth of excitement to my life but a gift of a well could bring years of health and happiness to an entire village in need. I’m beyond fortunate in my life and so this year I’d like a gift from you to be given to someone who really needs it. Thanks for making this my best birthday so far!”
