As African Well Fund nears the $1 million fundraising mark, we’ve asked supporters to share their stories of why they give. In this installment, board member Devlin Smith shares her reasons why.
One of my niece’s favorite movies is “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.” Her favorite part is what she calls “the delicious part,” where Willy Wonka leads the kids into the room with the chocolate waterfall and sings “Pure Imagination.”
I’ve come to adore that song, not just because of how it makes my niece light up every time she hears it, but also because of the hopeful lyrics. “Want to change the world? There’s nothing to it,” is my favorite line of the song.
That matter-of-fact optimism is why I support the African Well Fund. As a board member and writer for the organization, I’ve gotten to meet and interview supporters of all ages whose attitude is, “People need water, we should make sure they get it.” Their dedication to ensuring that people they’ve never met half a world away have access to clean drinking water and sanitation constantly astonishes and inspires me as I’ve had the honor of watching AWF grow from a fan forum topic to an internationally known organization that’s on its way to raising $1 million.
AWF board member Devlin Smith (right) poses with Neil McCormick, author of “Killing Bono” and music critic for the Daily Telegraph, at the 2009 U2 Academic Conference held at North Carolina Central University in Durham.
I support AWF because I believe access to clean water is not just a basic human need but a basic human right. I support AWF because of the amazement I feel every time I read a project report and learn what a positive impact having easy access to clean water can have on people’s lives. I support AWF because of the number of girls who are going to school now that they don’t have to walk miles every day to fetch water for their families, because of the farms that are flourishing, because of the businesses that have been started, because of the communities that have been strengthened.
I support AWF because it’s a simple idea that works.
If you’d like to tell African Well Fund why you give, please e-mail info@africanwellfund.org. To make a donation to support future African Well Fund projects, please click here.
