SupportInc2

As we told you the last time, the first water well is fully founded :). We transfered the founds to charity:water, and they answered that somewhere between 12 and 18 months from now, we will get a information about where, when and how is the well been made. And of course we will be sending that information to all of you.

Unfortunately, they also informed us that they are not going to work next year from UK. Since it is easier for us Europe-residents to work with foundations operating from Europe, we looked around what other organizations are working on similar topics, and after some research and comparison found Pum Aid: water for life. Their work is somehow similar to that of charity:water, and they are even field-mates in many projects. The approach is a little different in the sense that PA pumps and toilets use simpler technology that can be better understood and maintained by the local communities, and are therefore also cheaper.

So, our new target is to finance a PA water well and the donations can be followed in this new justgiving campaign page. And the great thing is that thanks to the surplus from the previous campaign we already have 40% already done!!

For this month we have no activities planed yet, but a new party is coming next year, and maybe some more biking when the whether allows. If in the meantime you would like to collaborate by making a direct donation or maybe asking your friends and family to give you donations as Christmas presents, please do so!

And for your entertainment, here is a video of how the PA pumps works:

The first well is FULLY FOUNDED!!!

You may be wandering why the 700€ from the last party are not yet uploaded to the justgiving site. Well, the great news is that we already made all the money necessary for the first well to be started! And we are checking how to direct the remaining money (including those 700€) and the energies we have found in our friends for the next well project. Hopefully before the end of this week we will upload this money to the site and let you know about it.

The funny anecdote is that when we started with the project the pound was weaker against the USD, and therefore the target amount was set to 3500. During the found rising 2 things happened. First the pound got stronger, reducing the required amount. Secondly, the justgiving website has something called "gift aid" in which they deal with tax authorities and get an extra percentage on all UK donations. Added both effects, and suddenly we realized that there was already enough in the account!

A nice story from saturday's party

When opening the envelopes with the donations we found this one. I cannot tell what was exactly in the writer's mind, but I can tell that many of the participants on this kind of campaigns are actually thankful for the opportunity to help. And that kind of cheers me up, that people is actually very willing to help, and are just waiting for a good opportunity to do it. Maybe all we need to do is put better opportunities at the reach of their generous hands!

In a little more down-to-earth comment on what does a "good opportunity" means, one of the things I like of charity:water is the image of organization, effectiveness, compromise and responsibility they project. I think people is indeed willing to help and support, when they can see that their help will be used in a short time, in an important AND CONCRETE action, with full traceability of their founds. Some organizations have it tougher. Red cross for instance has great and huge over-the-world programs with an incredible impact, but that same fact makes it difficult for the donors to relate their personal contributions to the organization goals and achievements. I cannot say what is THE way to go, but I do think that there is something to be learned from the way charity:water (among others) drives its contributions-to-projects relation.

700€ from the last party!!!!

Men, this is incredible! it is incredible how well the people responded to the idea of giving the gifts for the water cause. And the response was so strong that 700 euros made it into the found!!!

We are incredibly thankful with Donata, Julie, Friedi and Andrés for letting their gifts be donated to this campaign, and to all of their friends for participating into it.

The founds are on their way to the justgiving website, I´ll let you know as soon as they get uploaded.

Thanks again!

4th of December - Found-rising Birthday Party!!

This is actually how this people of charity:water started, by donating their birthday. Maybe I am a little biased, but I really like the idea. And that is exactly what Donata Liuzzi, Friedi Heuk, Julie Bara and Andres Alvarez kindly decided to do this weekend. They requested everyone going to their birthday party to bring their present in cash, so that the total amount can be donated at the end of the party to the charity:water!

Something funny I have seen around this is that even if everyone is exited and liking the idea of donating the money of the gifts, there is still this feeling of giving a present, a something, to the actual guy/girl having birthday. We all know that the presents between friends are not about the money. They are more about the challenge to find something they like, to show that we know that specific thing about them that made us find the perfect gift.

Well, here is the challenge I post for those going to this birthday (and hopefully for other birthdays): find something meaningful, representative, special AND CHEAP to give as a present. Then, give the rest of your gift-budget in his/her name to the foundation! it doesn't have to be this foundation of course, but we wouldn't mind ;). I am pretty sure the receiver will appreciate your gift, your efforts on finding something, and the fact that his birthday contributed to a good cause.

500km Video

Dear Friends,

A few weeks ago I completed my 4 days cycling journey across a part of England. It was a tremendous experience that I could only achieve having a big goal with it: Building a Water Well, changing the life of 250 people in Africa.

Thanks to the help of many people, giving any amount of donations , we have reached 55% to build the water well, more than a half, but still a way to go.

I spent some time putting this video together, to keep promoting this wonderful project. If you haven't donated yet, I invite you to be part of it. At the end of the project, you will receive pictures and the location of it. A clear tangible outcome of your donation !!!

And for everybody, please forward this video to all your friends, post it in fb, so that as many people can become part of it. I need as many people as possible helping out!

For any more information, please let me know.

Hope you are doing great

Yours,
Germán

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rEg8AAuwGg

500km video

English version coming. In the meantime, watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rEg8AAuwGg.

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Queridos Amigos,

Como ya varios de Uds. saben, hace unas semanas completé mis 500 Km en bicicleta de Londres a Land’s End (la parte más occidental de Inglaterra). Hace apenas unos días finalmente completé el video de 4 minutos que resume mis más de 30 horas en la bicicleta (perdí la cuenta).

La experiencia de recolectar fondos para construir un pozo de agua en África ha sido maravillosa. Hasta ahora hemos recibido donaciones de Estados Unidos, Alemania, Inglaterra, Italia, Bélgica, Venezuela y Perú (gracias Rafa). Ya hemos logrado el 51% necesario para construir un pozo que durará 20 años y que cambiará la vida de 250 personas.

Los puntos más relevantes:

100% de las donaciones van directamente para construir el pozo, todos los costes administrativos han sido cubiertos (por Charity:Water);

Un billón de personas no tienen acceso a agua potable, sin la cual el desarrollo de las comunidades es imposible (incluyendo trabajo, educación, salud, etc).

La donación utiliza todos los métodos seguros existentes en internet.

Si no pueden donar, reenvíen el video a quien pueda!

Cualquier que quiera ayudarme a seguir recolectando fondos, contácteme.

Espero que disfruten el video. Se encuentra en:

http://www.justgiving.com/SupportInc/

(Presionen en Video a la izquierda)

Abrazo a todos,

Germán

PS: Avísenme si no quieren recibir estos correos!

PPS: El video en youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rEg8AAuwGg

Why are we doing this?

Can you imagine not having any access to clean water? We take for granted the abundant, immediate and almost infinite availability of WATER. We trust that is clean and safe and use plenty of it. However, in other parts of the world the reality is very different.

A billion people on the planet don’t have any access to clean drinking water. Dirty water is killing more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren't strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses.

In September 2010, Germán cycled from London to Penzance, the most western part of the UK in a 310 miles journey to raise funds for building water wells in Africa. María V. in USA and Pablo in The Netherlands are organizing activities and engaging other people to support this cause, building our first water well in Africa.

100% of your donation will go directly to a water project: £3,500 will build a freshwater well in a village and provide more than 250 people with clean drinking water. In a year time, you will be able to see the exact geographical position of the well and pictures of it!!!

For this purpose we're supporting Charity:Water.

300 Miles / 500 Km Charity:Water Bike Ride (español/italiano)

Dear You,

Can you imagine spending all your life without any direct access to water? Hundreds of millions of people in Africa have to walk hours everyday to access contaminated water. Every day 4,500 children die of water related diseases.

On Thursday Daniel and I will start riding 300 Miles from London to Land's End, literally the end of England. We will keep sending updates via facebook. Our motivation? Raising enough funds to build a water well in Africa with a cost of £3500. A water well that will last 20 years and give access to 250 people. This is a donation with a clear outcome:

100% of the donation will go for building the water well through charity:water . Within a year we will send you pictures and the exact geographical position of the water well. A donation of any amount will make you part of this wonderful project.

Fundraising page (with pictures, video & more info):

http://www.justgiving.com/supportinc

PS: Even if you can't donate, forward it to your friends. Contact me if you have any questions. Thanks!
PPS: Thanks to the people who have contributed so far !!! We have now almost reached 25% of the necessary amount for the water well.
PPS: Follow the trip on facebook -> SupportInc

Germán D'Jesús Bencci

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Español:

Querida gente,

Estoy iniciando una campaña para construir un pozo de agua en Africa... Un sueño de toda mi vida. Cientos de millones de personas viven toda su vida sin acceso a agua potable y tienen que caminar durante horas para recolectar agua que está contaminada. Todos los días mueren apróximadamente 4.500 niños for enfermedades relacionadas con agua contaminada.

Este Jueves Daniel y yo comenzaremos un viaje de 500 Km en bicicleta para seguir motivando a las personas a colaborar con este proyecto. Estaremos escribiendo mensajes por facebook.

Ya hemos recolectando casi el 25% de la cantidad necesaria para construir un pozo en Africa que durará 20 años y sera utilizado por una comunidad de 250 personas.

Si tienes paypal o vives fuera de Venezuela, colaborar es muy fácil, igual que comprar cualquier cosa por internet. Aún si no puedes colaborar, manda este mensaje a alguien que si pueda!

Para mayor información y colaborar:
http://www.justgiving.com/supportinc

Avísame si tienes cualquier pregunta.. un abrazo. Espero verlos pronto.
PS: Gracias a Sodie en Argentina y a MariaV en US por unirse al groupo de motivación :)

Germán D'Jesús Bencci

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Italiano:

Cari amicci italiani,

Mi dispiace scrivere questo messaggio in fretta... Domani partiro' a fare 500 Km in 3 giorni da Londra fino alla fine dall' 'Inghilterra.

Sto facciendo una raccolat da soldi per costruire un pozzo d'acqua in Africa. Questo pozzo aiutara' a 250 personne per 20 anni ad' avere acqua pulita e poter investire il tempo in altri mestieri (educazione, lavoro) che non sia la racolta d'acqua. Migliagia di bambini muiono ogni giorni per malatie causate perl acqua sporca!

Si potete aiutare, non importa con quanto, :
http://www.justgiving.com/supportinc

Abbracci a tutti!! Siete benvenutti a Londra!!!

Germán D'Jesús Bencci