Primates Aren't The Only Things There's A Shortage Of In Africa

There's also a shortage of clean water. Friend of the blog Melissa Rowley is working to fix that.

She writes:

When I see photographs of children in developing countries, I ponder what my life would have been like had I not been adopted. My being here, here and now, and not roaming the streets of Korea or ending up as a sex trafficking tragedy, is more than a coincidence. It's a miracle. The longer I live the more certain I am that I was put on this planet to help those who need compassion, care, and a call to action to help them help themselves.

...the women who are mothers and nurturers in impoverished nations must be equipped with the proper resources. They need economic opportunities... For the love of all that is good and sound in this world, they need an education and clean drinking water, as do all the members of their community!

Two years ago, I met an inspiring couple devoted to providing all the aforementioned necessities to those in need. John and Stacey Travis, founders of the LA-based clean water initiative Drop in the Bucket, laser their energy and fire into empowering and educating people in post conflict regions of southern Sudan and northern Uganda, areas decimated by more than two decades of war. In these parts, where there is very little infrastructure, a lack of clean water can literally mean the difference between life and death. Drop in the Bucket focuses on well construction at schools because the group has found that school enrollment increases dramatically once the facility has a safe source of clean water. The volunteer-based organization is currently setting up village savings and loans initiatives that lend money to women so that they can have a chance to make money and empower themselves.

If you go and vote for Melissa's post, she could win an opportunity to join the appropriately named Dr. Greg Allgood on a clean water expedition to Africa and a $15,000 donation to her favorite charity tackling water issues: Drop in the Bucket.

How to vote: click here and read Melissa's post. Enter your email into the widget at the top of the page, and click "vote for this blogger." You'll receive an email with a verification link. That's it. (Note: I did this several days ago and have received no spam since, but of course I can't guarantee it.)