1/3/2011 Update: We're continuing through January 31! Thank you for your support and generous donations!
Help students ease thirst and save lives!
The Novick Family Foundation offers a $5,000 Challenge Grant and Matching Gift for the Wells of Love program. Please help us maximize our fundraising and turn $5,000 into $10,000!
Current Goal for Wells of Love: Students are raising money to bring water to another 25,000 people and animals.
Milestones already reached:
- * Amman Imman: Water is Life builds sustainable sources of water
- * 3 borehole wells built since 2006.
- * 75,000 people and animals have clean water
- * In West Africa's Azawak: Schools open, reforestation program starts, adult education classes begin
- * In America and around the world: Over 50 schools get involved
- * Students raise $120,000
- *June, 2010, Kijigari Borehole opens, named for students, "Montessori Well of Love"
Dear Friends, Four years ago Ariane Kirtley told me a story that would change my life. She told me about 500,000 people in West Africa's Azawak valley who live and die without water. She had dedicated herself to bringing water to these children and families by starting Amman Imman: Water is Life. I knew I had to help.
Wells of Love. I've since engaged the participation of students in over 50 schools around the world through the Wells of Love service learning program which I started in late 2006. Last year, I left my long-time position as a school director to assume the role of Amman Imman's Associate Director. My objective was to use my administrative skills to develop the organization and my skills as an educator to expand its growing youth program, all with the intent of supporting the mission of easing thirst and saving lives.
The results are in. Amman Imman's boreholes now bring water to as many as 75,000 people and animals during the driest months of the year. Two of these boreholes were built with the help of students around the world through the Wells of Love program. Collectively they raised $120,000. In June 2010, a borehole opened in the village of Kijigari, named "Montessori Well of Love" for these Heroes of Compassion in Montessori schools. With water, schools operate, economic activities can begin, and communities can flourish.
Today in the United States, I run operations assisted by a small volunteer staff including several interns and an accountant. This year Amman Imman: Water is Life secured its own 501c3 status, and is now a tax exempt nonprofit. We will continue adding to these results this spring when our team returns to Niger on a foundation grant to strengthen our villages economically so that the people can effectively support their borehole, and reap the benefits of the clean, pure water.
Current Challenge. The Novick Family Foundation has pledged a grant of up to $5,000 to match donations raised between December 17 and January 31. These funds are restricted to support the Wells of Love program. I offer to you the opportunity to help me turn $5,000 into $10,000 and turn students into young leaders. Together with Amman Imman, these students will construct these Oases of Life that will bring clean water - life and hope - to the people of the Azawak.
I ask you to please donate however much you are comfortable giving, and share this opportunity with your friends and networks. Together, by engaging youth in our legion of Heroes for the Azawak, we can bring water and hope to where there is none.
Watch our progress. I'll send periodic updates. You can also watch the thermometer rise by checking back on this page. To learn more about Amman Imman, please visit www.ammanimman.org. Read about Wells of Love here. Stay in touch with our Wells of Love school activities by following our blog.
Yours sincerely, Debbie
Debra Kahn
Amman Imman: Water is Life
Associate Director
Wells of Love, program director
email: debbie@ammanimman.org
phone: 240-418-1143