Friendly Water for the World May newsletter

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Subject: Friendly Water for the World May newsletter

Welcome to the May issue of News and Notes. In this month's issue, we share updates from India to Africa. If you haven't already attended one of our online Chat's, make sure you read to the end to find out how to register.

METTUPALAYAM

While most of us are physically distancing at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, it's a moment to remember those who have lost their homes or don't have homes at all. In 2018 cyclone Gaja blew through India. So many residents of Mettupalayam lost their homes that most were forced to sleep on the sides of roads. They protested touring officials because so little aid and restoration work was provided.

Not only did they lose their homes, they lost much of their water supply because the cyclone had caused more pollutants to infiltrate the water table. Last year four groups of women from Mettupalayam were trained in BioSand Water Filter construction. They wanted to bring clean water back to their community. And they wanted to develop another source of income that could help rebuild their lives.

As you can tell from these recent pictures, they continue to build filters and provide clean water for their community. The pandemic may have slowed their efforts, but it has not dented their will or desire. They know that now, more than ever, clean water is the path to health and wellness. We hope you’ll join us in supporting them and disadvantaged communities around the world. Good health has no borders.

4,000 BRICKS AND COUNTING

That's one of the first messages we received from our new Coach in Zambia, Warren Mwenda. The Zambia Women and Girls Foundation is building a new school. So far they have created over 4000 bricks for the school walls. All using the Interlocking Soil Stabilized Brick Press they received during their training. That's a lot of bricks to build new futures. And as a reminder, these bricks do not have to be fired, so they're better for the climate; they can be easily made with local resources, so they're more cost-effective; their composition is more consistent, so they're stronger; and their interlocking shape requires less mortar to build walls and makes them more structurally sound.

And Warren shared that they've also built a new water catchment tank at the Zambia Women and Girls Foundation school in Mwirianyi.

And just a reminder of what Warren and future Coaches will be doing in the field (we'll also be exploring this work during our Chat this Friday):

MEASURE

Measure outputs and outcomes. How many new filters, bricks and other technologies are built? And what economic and health impacts are those outputs having on the people and community?

ASSESS

Assess the amount of materials on hand, the progress and effectiveness of the various construction processes, and how well each individual product is working after it is locally installed.

SHARE

Share with Friendly Water for the World measurement and assessment information, community concerns or opportunities for improvement. Share our feedback. Share best practices amongst the community.

ENCOURAGE

Encourage a rewarding and long-term partnership that benefits all parties, that positions all people as equals with shared goals, and that builds the tools to overcome barriers to adoption and utilization.

Thanks, Warren! We look forward to hearing more from you soon.

Thank you for your generosity on and around May 5th. Whether through #givingtuesdaynow or GiveBig Washington you joined a movement that unleashed the power and spirit of giving around the world. As ever, we couldn't do this work without you. And, it's never too late to give.

MONTHLY BOARD MEETING

The Friendly Water for the World board meeting is open to the public. We want everyone to have the opportunity to join, especially now when most of us are physically distancing at home. So, this month we are hosting the Board Meeting online. To connect, click the button below.

The button will take you to our Zoom web call and may prompt you to download a small piece of software to join the call. Install the software if asked to do so, and then you can join the meeting. If you are prompted for a password, enter 857006.

Join our Board Meeting >>>

JOIN

If you are located in the United States and would like to join an audio-only version of the call from your telephone, dial the number below that is closest to your location and enter the Meeting ID: 551-730-873.

San Jose +1 669 900 9128
New York +1 646 558 8656

If you have any difficulties joining, please contact will@friendlywater.org.

MAKE A LASTING IMPACT

Create a gift of clean water that travels across the world!

As we expand our program to impact more people and communities, you may be interested in supporting this work through planned gift options that leave a legacy. These options allow you to take care of your own family first, but also save for the future, benefit from tax deductions and create a lasting gift

Employer matching
Donor advised fund
IRA Qualified Charitable distribution
Stock contribution
Estate gift

Friendly Water for the World is part of matching gift programs at Microsoft, Kaiser Permanente, Google, Boeing and others. If you have an employer that has a matching gift program, please help us become part of their system.

We hope you'll contact us so we can share how easy it is to create these gifts and the big difference they make.

ONE LAST THING

Are you craving some conversation? Looking for something new to do? Are you feeling lonely? Well, you're not alone. And to keep us all connected, we have started a weekly Chat. Come join us and people from all corners of the globe. We often have participants from eight or nine countries! We share and learn about what's happening around the world and in our local communities.

Last week we joined John MacLean, president of Energy Efficiency Finance Corporation, to chat about climate resilience, international finance, and the barriers to adopting new technology in developing countries. It was a great way to end the week.

This Friday at noon (Pacific Standard Time), come Chat about our new Coach. Most of us have had a coach. Their job is to help the team unlock and reach its full potential. To get the most out of every situation. To achieve things that maybe they never thought they could accomplish. And that’s just what our new Coaches will be doing with their local communities. This past month we signed our first Coach, Warren Mwenda in Monze, Zambia. Register to hear how he, and our new programming, will help to ensure the success of our projects and partnerships.

Register to join us >>>

And if you'd like to watch the last Chat (or five), we have uploaded the video onto Youtube. You can see it on our new channel here: https://bit.ly/ChatonYoutube

Until our next Chat, our next newsletter, or whenever we are fortunate enough to see each other again. Please be safe and kind to others.

-Will, and the rest of our small but global team

FRIENDLY WATER FOR THE WORLD

https://friendlywater.org

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Subject: Friendly Water for the World May newsletter