The African Well Fund has launched its eighth annual Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser. To honor the U2 lead singer's 50th birthday, the nonprofit is aiming to raise $50,000 during the 50-day period of March 22 to May 10. All funds raised will benefit a community water and sanitation project in the Buhera District of Zimbabwe that will be implemented by Africare, African Well Fund's partner.

"It makes me proud to be a part of the U2 fan community and, in my opinion, there is no other community like it and that's why this year, in honor of Bono's 50th birthday, we've decided to set our highest goal yet to raise $50,000 in 50 days," said Rob Trigalet, board chairman for the African Well Fund. "We know that it will not only take people donating but, just as important, we'll be asking everyone who supports us to help spread the word through Facebook, Twitter and the various blogs and fan sites that our supporters may be involved with. We think this is a great year to try and really get the word out to as many people as possible."

To reach the $50,000 goal, the African Well Fund is accepting donations through its website, selling a limited-edition print by artist Azalea Millet, selling limited-edition merchandise through Zazzle , and auctioning U2 live photos and U2 360 Tour concert tickets on eBay.

Millet has donated limited-edition hand-signed and numbered prints that will be sold for $50 through our website beginning Monday, March 29.

"I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for AWF and its mission to provide villages in Africa with clean water by building wells," said Millet, whose artwork has also been used as the inspiration for this year's Build a Well for Bono's Birthday logo and merchandise. "I want to show my support by doing all I can to help them raise money to meet their goal of $50,000 for Bono's 50th birthday."

The U2 live photo auction , the third auction of U2 concert photos taken by fans and professional photographers that the African Well Fund has hosted, will be held from Sunday, April 18 through Sunday, April 25. The 2007 photo auction raised over $7,000 for that year's Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser; the 2006 photo auction raised over $11,000 for that year's fundraiser.

General admission tickets for U2 360 Tour dates in Salt Lake City , Anaheim and Philadelphia will be auctioned between Monday, May 3 and Saturday, May 8. In 2009, auctions of U2 concert tickets raised nearly $500 for that year's Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser.

All donors will be invited to add their birthday wishes to a card that will be sent to Bono via Principle Management.

"Bono has referred to this fundraiser as his 'favorite birthday gift,'" Trigalet said. "I really believe that this year might be the best one yet."

Donations from the seven previous Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraisers have totaled over $170,000 and have been used to fund water and sanitation projects implemented by African Well Fund partner Africare to benefit more than 28,000 people in Angola, Ethiopia, Liberia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

By Devlin Smith

Now through March 22, Dion Simte, founder of the Bono Street Team, is raising money for the African Well Fund's annual Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser. Simte has made a birthday wish through Facebook to benefit AWF and is giving away limited-edition prints of a painting by Azalea Millet to the four top donors. These prints will also be sold by AWF during the course of the fundraiser.

Simte answered a few questions about the Bono Street Team and why the group wanted to help AWF reach its goal of raising $50,000 for Bono's birthday.

What is your title/role with the Bono Street Team?
I am the creator/founder of the Bono Street Team. I was inspired to do more for Africa when I met Bono and Ali Hewson in 2006 at the Edun/One.org event in Los Angeles. At first, I created a MySpace page called Hearts for Africa, which was first established in early 2007 in support of Bono's activism. I had also created a website to go with it, which showed various African resources to educate people on the "emergency" in Africa. In 2008 I changed the name to the Bono Street Team. I was inspired by the way Christian rock bands used street teams to promote themselves. Street team is a term used in marketing to describe a group of people who "hit the streets" promoting an event or a product. I thought it was perfect to change the name, as it was just what we were doing. Since then I have expanded to Facebook, Twitter and Blogger. This past year, I was blessed to have Bono himself give his approval of the BST and our efforts to help raise awareness of poverty in Africa.

Can you describe what the Bono Street Team is?
The Bono Street Team are fans of Bono who are advocates that are dedicated to and support the work Bono does for Africa. We are here to help raise awareness thru social media networking about poverty, AIDS/HIV, malaria, debt and trade in Africa. It is our way of bringing exposure to the issues close to his heart as well as our own as individuals.

Why did the Bono Street Team want to raise funds through Facebook Causes for AWF and Build a Well for Bono's Birthday?
We discovered that Facebook can be a powerful tool in raising funds for charitable organizations. We specifically wanted to help AWF build fresh water wells so that the villages in sub-Saharan Africa can have access to safe, consumable water and utilizing the Facebook Cause page gives us such a platform. We realize that the BST page is an excellent vessel to provide AWF with the extra help it needs to help raise funds where we can be assured that the donations go directly to AWF.

How did you get the four prints you're giving away as part of this fundraiser?
I decided that this year for my birthday, in lieu of gifts, donations be made to help raise funds for one of my favorite charities through the Bono Street Team Facebook
Cause Page. I had an idea for a contest that would help motivate people to donate, by asking my friend and artist, Azalea Millet, if she would create a painting for the Bono Street Team to be used as an incentive for the birthday fundraiser. I decided to have only four prints made of the original painting, numbered and signed by the artist, available to the top four highest donations. The birthday fundraiser ends on March 22, at that time all donations will go to our beneficiary African Well Fund. Additional prints of the painting will be made available through the AWF 8th annual Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser from March 22-May 10.

Can you describe the prints?
The prints are a reproduction of the original gouache painting of Bono holding an African child from a trip to Ghana in 2002. They are on white medium glossy paper, 11x17 with a white border around it. The painting includes the Bono Street Team name along with a quote of Bono's, "This is our moment ... to Stand Up for what is right." This comes from his speech at Live8 in 2005.

What is your goal for this fundraiser?
Our goal is to not only raise funds for the AWF, but to help bring awareness and support for the African Well Fund. We also want to be instrumental in helping the AWF reach their Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser goal of $50,000.

What kind of response have you gotten so far?
We have had a very positive response from everyone involved so far. BST members are excited about the print giveaway and we have received plenty of encouragement and support.

If people are interested in making a donation to your Facebook Cause, where can they get more information?
The Bono Street Team Facebook Cause page is located at this link.

Is there anything else you would like to add about this fundraiser, the prints you're giving away or the Bono Street Team?
The Bono Street Team plans on running many more fundraisers throughout this year for the African Well Fund and other charities. We really want to make a difference and help where we are needed for those who are in need in the world. Galatians 2:10 [says], "The only additional thing they asked was that we remember the poor," and I was already eager to do that.

To honor Bono's 50th birthday, the African Well Fund is aiming to raise $50,000 to fund water and sanitation projects in sub-Saharan Africa during a 50-day period beginning on World Water Day, March 22nd, and ending on Bono's birthday, May 10th.

To achieve this goal, AWF will be raising money in a variety of ways, including accepting donations through africanwellfund.org, selling specially designed T-shirts and merchandise through Zazzle, auctioning tickets to North American U2 360° Tour concert dates, and auctioning U2 concert photos. Stay tuned to the AWF homepage, Facebook and Twitter for updates on the Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser.

As in years past, all donors will be invited to leave their birthday wishes on a card that will be sent to Principle Management.

If you have a fundraising idea or would like to volunteer to help AWF achieve this $50,000 goal for Bono's 50th birthday, e-mail info@africanwellfund.org.

Since 2003, U2 fans have donated more than $170,000 to fund Build a Well for Bono's Birthday projects in Angola, Ethiopia, Liberia, Uganda and Zimbabwe that have benefited more than 28,000 people.

By Devlin Smith

During the 2006-2007 school year, the fifth graders at Phoenix Country Day School in Paradise Valley, Arizona, held a walk-a-thon to raise money for the African Well Fund, collecting more than $11,000. That walk-a-thon has become an annual tradition for the school's fifth graders and this year they raised nearly $9,000.

Jill Niemczura, a fifth grade teacher at Phoenix Country Day School, answered a few questions about the walk-a-thon and how it ties in with her students' learning.

Why did the Phoenix Country Day School want to host another fundraiser for the African Well Fund?
The Walk-for-a-Well fundraiser has become a fifth grade tradition for our students. In its fourth year, we now can boast that every student that has traveled through our Middle School (grades 5-8) has participated in this endeavor.

How did the fifth graders raise money?
The students collected pledges from their family, friends and neighbors. On Nov. 20, the students walked laps around our athletic field to symbolize the 3.5-mile journey that women and children in many parts of Africa face everyday when gathering their daily water. Many students went above and beyond this goal in the hour given for the event.

Was the fundraiser tied into the fifth grade curriculum? If yes, how?
In our fifth grade World Cultures class, half of the year is dedicated to the study of Africa. A few of the topics were explore are geography, regions and current issues affecting Africa. We also learned about issues pertaining to scarcity and how cultures adapt to adversity.

PCDS' fifth grade also has three interdisciplinary goals of "Sustainability, Respect, and Responsibility." In all of our disciplines, we aim to help our students understand their role as a "global citizen" and how they can help make the lives of others better.

What goals did the fifth graders have for the fundraiser?
Every year, the students hope to top the amount achieved the year before. The event for our 2008-2009 school year raised $6,002, so this year's amount raised was really impressive.

What has been their reaction to the nearly $9,000 that was raised?
I think the students take great pride in their achievement and are inspired to continue to look for ways help others.

What impact has this fundraiser had on your students and the school
community?
The Walk-for-a-Well allowed our 10 and 11 year olds the chance to see that you are never too young to contribute to a worthy cause. Our fundraiser was more than raising money, it gave the students a chance to empathize with people on the other side of the world and be creative and resourceful in helping.

What advice do you have for other schools considering raising money for AWF or other nonprofit organizations?
I think the best thing a school can do would be to make fundraising interesting and relevant. Our students had fun taking part in the event, and past participants from other grades look fondly on the memories that their day created.

It is also important to have the backing of a great community. Many parents and teachers came to the event, helped count laps, brought snacks and cheered our student onto their goals. I am especially grateful to our grade representative parents who organized our volunteer helpers.

By purchasing Valentine's Day gifts from the African Well Fund or its affiliates, you can help fund water and sanitation projects in Africa. Gift options that benefit AWF include:

African Well Fund Affiliates
Make purchases from Amazon.com, iTunes or Netflix and AWF will earn a percentage of the sale.

GoodShop
Indicate on the site that you support African Well Fund (Schenectady, NY) and your purchases from over 1,000 stores, including 1-800-Flowers, The Apple Store, Best Buy, FTD, Macy's and Williams-Sonoma, can earn money for AWF. Coupon codes and deals are also available through the site.

JustGive GiveNow Gift Card
When recipients redeem this gift card, they select which of the charities in JustGive's database, including African Well Fund Inc., gets their donation.

African Well Fund Merchandise
Give the gift of water in honor of a loved one by purchasing a Well Share. Also available for purchase are AWF water bottles and stickers.

African Well Fund Zazzle Store
Merchandise available includes T-shirts for men, women, children and dogs featuring several African Well Fund designs, as well as bags and mugs.