When most of us turn on the faucet, we take for granted that the water that comes out of it is clean and safe. For millions of people in third-world countries, this simply isn’t the case. Dirty water carries diseases that can decimate a village.
19-year old Seth Maxwell and seven of his friends decided to do something about it. They raised money to buy 1,000 bottles of water, which they gave away to passing pedestrians on a busy street. With each bottle handed out, they would strike up a conversation about the issue. Soon those strangers became supporters. With the contributions the eight friends raised that day, they were able to fund a freshwater well in a needy country.
At that point, they thought they were done. But as it turns out, they were just getting started. Word of their street success spread. They were invited to schools to discuss the third-world water crisis and how students could help. In that first month, their organization raised $12,000—before they were ‘officially’ an organization!
And that’s how the Thirst Project was born, seven years ago.
Today, Thirst Project members speak to schools all over the country, educating students about the global water crisis. To date, they’ve raised 8 million dollars, and provided clean water to 280,000 people in third world countries. The numbers of lives they’ve saved from infectious water-borne diseases is incalculable.
If you would like to help, contact the Thirst Project at info@thirstproject.org
