Our Partners
To All of God’s Children, We Are With You
Blood:Water exists because we believe that all human beings were created in God’s image and deserve basic rights: freedom, health, common decency, and tolerance just to name a few. Partnering with sub-Saharan African grassroots organizations, we can sometimes feel distant from the racial issues prevalent here in the US, but we have seen how stigma and prejudice of disease, poverty, and identity can impact people’s lives at the most atomic and subatomic levels. We are just as responsible as any other organization or person for making the world a better place for everyone starting at an individual level. Therefore, we condemn the acts of injustice perpetrated every day against Black Americans, whether intentional or not, systemic or overt, historic or current, in the US or abroad.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
-John 13:34
Exciting Updates from the Field
We are so grateful for your support even in these difficult times and for the incredible work of our partners, so we wanted to give you a little update on how each of them are doing amidst the COVID-19 crisis as it grows in Africa.
What Water Wells and Kidney Transplants Have in Common
We as a culture have looked at the local organization as the younger sibling to the large international organizations. In doing so, we have fueled a long, solutionless investment that has done more to build a western hero complex rather than truly help solve the challenges that continue to burden our world. It is time to change.
The Experts Are Not Who You Think
The question that should pop up in your brain at this point is, “Has the international development community largely operated without elevating the importance and integral role of local expertise?” And the answer to your question is a resounding and painful, “yes.”
On The Frontlines In Uganda, Our Partner Is Taking Action
While COVID-19 still presents a serious threat to them and the people they serve, our partners have been proactively fighting to contain the disease in their corners of the world. And we are excited to highlight the efforts of one such partner to show you how, despite all of our current challenges, we can still band together to help. Partners for Community Transformation (PaCT) has been one of Uganda’s leaders in health for some time now, and they are going above and beyond to proactively address this new pandemic.
Exciting Developments from the East Africa Philanthropy Conference
Aside from being able to provide our own insight to other organizations, we look forward to learning more about the region and pursuing the connections we made through the conference. We have been formally invited to be a member of the Africa Philanthropy Network (APN), which will expand our accessibility to other philanthropic organizations into the Southern African region.
Dying to Live
The physiological description of the brutal death of Jesus has always challenged me. There is something about John’s telling of Jesus’ crucifixion that felt connected to the work of helping people gain access to clean water in communities where a virus found in the blood stream was doing it’s best to destroy the immune systems of it’s targets.
We Take It For Granted, But It’s Saving Our Lives
How many sinks in kitchens and bathrooms have that long forgotten bottle of hand sanitizer or hand soap tucked in a dark corner? Is there dish soap somewhere near a dishwasher? Is there body wash and shampoo in a shower? How many bottles in how many showers? If it was truly a life and death situation, how far would you need to go in order to gain access to the soap you needed?
COVID-19 Is New. The Impact Is Not.
The societal impact that COVID-19 has had gives us a rare opportunity to personally empathize with our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who have not had access to good health care, clean water, and proper sanitation facilities for years. As sub-Saharan Africa currently holds almost 50% of the global burden of the water crisis and almost 70% of the global burden of HIV, it is a highly vulnerable area – which is why we partner with grassroots organizations on the ground in that region.
World Water Day: The Story of Chifenthe Preschool (Part 2)
For Chikalema to have a well to draw drinking water from rather than the unclean rivers is hard to believe,” the Village Headwoman declares. “Now that we have a well, I am very confident that the community will take care of it since it is the only good source of clean and safe water… This well will save lives in my village.”