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!