I ended my "Get Serious" post (two posts ago) with an addendum. In it I quoted Dr. Al Mohler, speaking on the wonders of American capitalism. Apparently, it wasn't obvious that I was being sarcastic in my quote. Mohler seemed as inflicted as most North American Christians with an almost exclusive focus on ourselves - and the really horrible times we are going through. (I need to quickly finish this post so I can rush out to the food lines in hopes of getting a piece of moldy bread and a cup of thin gruel.)
Perhaps we could look for sympathy in the two-thirds world, where most would simply be happy with clean drinking water. Or in sub-Saharan Africa, where mosquito nets costing only a dollar per, would dramatically reduce the number of children who die daily from malaria - one every 30 seconds. (Only 3% of the most at-risk kids have the nets in place.)
Clean drinking water and effective anti-malaria protection would have profound impact on the economic well-being of individuals, families and nations in sub-Saharan Africa - where up to 40% of health expenditures go to treating malaria alone - that treatment doesn't deal with the parasites and diseases that accompany dirty water.
I want to point you at two things on this Blog Action Day. The first is the Blood:Water Mission.
Blood:Water Mission is partnering with groups and individuals to empower Africans to build healthier communities through sustainable clean blood and clean water solutions, while developing social responsibility in the U.S. through initiatives that provoke personal engagement and ownership.
$1 = ONE YEAR OF WATER FOR AN AFRICAN
YOUR ONE DOLLAR WILL SAVE A LIFE
We've given to Blood:Water today, and I'd ask that you'd consider giving as well.
The second thing I'd ask is that you watch this video from Physicist Neil Turok, 2008 TED prize winner. Perhaps the next Einstein will be saved by the clean water and mosquito nets we help to provide.
UPDATE: Read Brother Maynard's Blog Action Day Post, please.
UPDATE 2: Please read Jake Meador and Jamie Arpin-Ricci, too.
This post is part of Blog Action Day 08 - Poverty
