I've had the rare opportunity to travel to third-world countries and visit many rural villages in places like Bolivia, Mexico and Nepal. Recently I've been involved with an orphanage in Haiti. 
No matter what part of the world I've been in, I've witnessed the same basic needs: Clean drinking water, fuel for heating and cooking, medical care, and education. Whether it is in the Himalayan villages of Nepal, the high Altiplano Plateau of Bolivia, the dusty desert villages of Mexico, or the Tropical island of Haiti, these rural villages struggle for the basics of sustainable life.
In rural villages on Bolivia's Altiplano, it was rare to see a tree for miles. For generations the countryside had been striped of its trees and used for cooking and heating fuel. After the trees were gone, dried livestock dung was used in its place. These cooking fires were typically used inside the home, thus contributing to lung and respiratory deceases. Mexico had similar challenges.
Clean drinking water is a worldwide challenge. In remote villages in Nepal, it was typical for a women to spend four to six hours per day hauling water from muddy rivers and streams to prepare meals and drinking water for their families. This unclean water is the cause of high rates of infant deaths and high mortality rates.
In Haiti, a twin-country island surrounded by water, struggle with providing clean drinking water for its eight million plus citizens, and recently compounded with the 7.0 earthquake in January of this year. It was heartwarming to see the outpouring of support from their global friends, to offer assistance during their time of crisis.
What is important to us who live in the comforts of a home with clean drinking water, piped in cooking fuel and a healthy environment, is that there are people in the world who do not have these luxuries, and can be helped by us through our generous giving, even if it is only a dollar or two per month.
Fifteen dollars can provide enough food for one Haitian orphan for a full month. Fifty two dollars can educate a Nepali child for a full year.
Where we have been given much...we too must give.
I invite you to visit these two websites, and consider donating: www.hithumanitarian.org; www.choicehumanitarian.org.
