Garrett's World of Opportunity

My friend Bannet and I pumping water in Mbuluma village, Ntchisi, Malawi

Friends, family, and colleagues –

For the past year, I’ve been volunteering with Engineers Without Borders in Malawi, Africa on the Water and Sanitation Team and will continue to work with EWB in Malawi until June 2010. I’m doing this because I believe that EWB is one of the best organizations creating opportunity for rural Africans and that my efforts are helping to create this opportunity.

Across Africa there are millions of people living in extreme poverty. Over the past year I spent a lot of my time living, working and developing meaningful friendships with some of these people. Their conditions are not for a lack of hard work or desire for change. But rather, these people lack some fundamental opportunities that you and I have here in Canada such as having access to clean drinking water.

In Malawi, as many as 35% of the water wells simply do not work - with millions of dollars being invested in drilling new ones and little money being invested to keep these wells functioning, this is just unacceptable. Without lasting access to clean water, thousands of families are needlessly trapped in a cycle of sickness and poverty.

My work with EWB focuses on increasing the number of people who have access to safe drinking water. By working with the Malawian government to develop innovate tools to map water points and monitor their functionality, we can identify the water wells which are broken and repair them. In addition, we're testing new ways to prevent breakdowns and get repairs happening quickly. In 2010, our team will have 30 EWB volunteers improving the sustainability of Malawi’s water wells, contributing to our overall goal of having 90% of water points working within five years.

This is why I am asking you to support EWB’s work this holiday season. I believe that EWB is a powerful vehicle for creating positive change. EWB is seeking to increase its impact – by doubling its volunteer capacity and flexibility to innovate. Our team will use your donation effectively, and continue to make great things happen.

This holiday season please donate to my World of Opportunity campaign and support my passion and commitment to EWB. Together, we can help increase the opportunities for rural Africans to thrive.

Many Thanks!