You may remember just over a month ago, when we promised to donate half of the registration fees from our Holiday Package to charity:water.
We sent in $37,500 to be exact.
We sent in $37,500 to be exact.
The Holiday Package charity is an annual project that the staff chooses. (I don’t vote, since I get to choose the other charities that we fund. You can see my charity choices here.)
We had gone through an involved process here, trying to decide which organization should get the money, and had documented the process in one of our earlier blogs.
But this week, we were again faced with an important decision.
charity:water contacted us with two donation possibilities: fund seven smaller well projects or two more expensive ones.
The reason for the added expense – these wells would require deep drilling equipment due to the terrain in Burkina Faso, West Africa, where the two wells would be located.
For our staff, the dilemma was this – should we fund the cheaper projects and thus help more communities or fund the more expensive projects, which charity:water generally has a hard time raising money for?
Many groups are able to raise $5,000 to fund one well project, but not many donors send in enough money for a more expensive well. And while it’s possible to combine a few $5,000 donations for one project, many groups prefer to solely fund their own well.
After much discussion, including a rather philosophical one, the staff voted to fund the two larger, more expensive projects.
A year from now, we’ll be able to share the coordinates of these two wells, but for now, know that the process has begun.
We are excited to be involved in this endeavor, especially given the need for clean water that exists in many parts of the world.
Please leave a comment below and tell us how you would have voted.
What a great post about ethics.
There are many choices that can be made…each is determined by just as many perspectives.The gift of water will be life-sustaining for whomever the recipients are. This is a gift which will keep on giving to those in need. May God bless both the recipients as well as the donors.
When I started this blog in March, I knew that part of my trvelas would be to Australia, and that I would use this visa to live and work there for at least a few months. I didn’t know how or when; I only knew that it would happen. A few weeks later, one of my yoga teachers arrived from Sydney. We started discussing my family and my dream of living in Australia. She told me that if I wanted to move there that there are abundant opportunities to teach yoga, and that she could help me make connections to start teaching there. I realized that night that I was the only thing stopping me from living that dream.
The sensitivity, generosity, thoughtfulness and sense of greater good inspire me and i am very grateful for all you and your team do
KUDOS process,purpose,result.I’ma wierdo too(see above)Dishwashing water,Veggie washing water.Collected rain water to toilett tank.Ihave a greatsmall Sealed manual Hand washing macine.Feel completelyarchtypal,blissed using it
I am very encouraged to hear the news and to be encouraged to continue my own personal work on a daily basis in saving the water. I have been going out of my way routinely to save water from kitchen to move to my small garden. I also save water from the kitchen for multiple use though it is not as convenient when the two sinks are full and I use an extra bucket in my floor to save the more cleaner water for vegetable rinse to be used later for other things.
Also in doing home laundry, I try to re-use my water for multi loads though it is also a lot of effort as I have to pick up wet cloth from the machine, so I have really wished that we can find and buy much smaller washer machine in our US market or the wash machine can design more different water levels to allow me to save water. Right now, even the small load sometimes may be too much for a simple few pieces to be washed.
I grew up in China, the time I grew up there is no water in each family unit, we have to do to the public to carry the water home each day. So I told myself this hardship has taught me the endurance I can have and the understanding as well as empathy to the parts of the world where there is no clean water to fetch.
I have really want to promote this wash machine redesign in America. Each time I could not do a multi-load I feel so much water is wasted. So seeing your site made me feel all worthwhile to go through my effort on a daily basis. But I do meet many people think I am nuts as they feel that water is abundant still and it is all the environmental group of people try to make us think water is running short.
Though what I have done may be of an extreme in so many’s eye because I always watch my water flow in wahsing, and tell all my friends and family come to visit constantly to use less water that I know it is hard in a busy daily life to constantly make hard on myself , spend extra time and effort to carry water from here and there. I constantly encourage myself to keep doing this for our earth and this is my own prayer in action for my gratitude to the clean water we have.
so, with the site you post, I can feel a good relief to know there are lot out there sharing the same value.
What an ethical dilemna! The consideration given this decision reveals a great amount of mindful intent. Being new to the whole philosophy and practice of mindfulness, seeing it being a part of not only personal but group behavior is very rewarding. I believe just the act of providing water was right action, but I see your decision for the larger wells as an oppertunity afforded to you which would not be to many others.
Hi Ruth,
To my opinion you took the choice you found most important according to your thoughts and reflection. And to me all the choices were good. Congratulation for your charity. It is good for all the humanity. Clean water is so essential for life. It is part of my Christian values also. You do an excellent job.
Gisele
I had no idea you were involved in such things, Ruth, but it does not surprise me since the tone of all your emails is always personal, warm and ‘connected’ to the reader! As a professor of philosophy and ethics, I believe you made the right choice, tho it must have been such a hard one, given your desire to be able to fund all the wells. I am inspired as the web of evolutionary interconnection grows exponsentially larger, day by day!
There is no bad choice, here. Serve seven or serve two,it is still serving a basic need. Kudos to you all. If Maslow was right, water is one of the foundational pieces to everything else. I grew up with native Americans. They picked camp sites on the basis of access to good water. Before Oil,Arabs defined wealth in terms of control of Oases. Keep up the good work.
Very good choice. I’ll be waiting to read about the follow up. Every time I turn on my tap I think of how few people in this world have clean water. Its upseting and also embarrasing. So I’m pleased that you chose WATER.
Last year while visiting Cambodia we saw a village that had recently gotten a well provided by the French NGO Amica. It was remarkable the effect on the lives of the people and their ability to have livestock, start a market of homemade goods and become a tourist stop (mixed blessing, I’m guessing!)
Nevertheless, you made a difficult and excellent choice in my opinion.
Thank you for your care and work.
i am enamored by the idea that you are even grappling with these enormously important dilemmas that have such far reaching impact. kudos to you and your noble efforts. i dont really think it matters what we think since you obviously have a fair and democratic process in place to reach your own best solutions but for whayever its worth, iI would have chosen to benefit the max number of recipients.
Great work!
This article really made me think about providing clean water in a very different way. Thought it might be of interest.
Totally wonderful; I would have chosen the same. Thanks also for all your work, and may all the givings be blessed[ best wishes
e
This is absolutely fabulous – Whilst I have not yet done any work with you Ruth, I have followed what you have done and been very inspired. I hope and pray that one day soon we will meet.
With every good wish and great respect
Kim A Jobst MA DM MRCP MFHom
Editor in Chief. J.Altern.Complement.Med