Charitywater.org
Shared about when he was four, and found his mother had carbon monoxide poisoning. Wrecked her immune system. Allergic to the world.
He was brought up as a Christian, but became a night club promoter. At 28 in Ecuador he realised how hollow ‘success’ was. Read the Pursuit of God by AW Tozer, he hadn’t lost his faith- just lost obedience. He sold escapism for a living but it wasn’t working.
Decided to work with the poor for a year, became a photographer, on Mercy ships. (Anastasia). Contact with patients who had huge facial tumours operated on touched him deeply. Took 50,000 photos. Broken.
While he was in Africa he would see the water sources, filthy. No wonder there was so much disease!
He came back and realised that $16 could buy a cocktail or a bag of rice to feed 4. But the he realised GUILT would not motivate. Opportunity would.
A billion people – a sixth of the world, had no access to clean water. He saw 8 hour queues to wait for a hole in the ground. Saw people in Rwanda drinking mud. 80% of the diseases are traceable to that. Leeches in the water. Half of the worlds schools
40 billion work hours wasted in queues for water.
We could build wells, put in filters.
WATER CHANGES EVERYTHING.
How do you REINVENT CHARITY?
- Give away 100%. Opened up 2 accounts. All public money goes to the water, and fundraise separately for staff etc
- All transparent accounts.
- Create a brand. Beautiful design to tell our story. (Cards, art, infographics, ad campaign – well done shots got put up for free). Eg shot rich people doing what the poor people do alongside each other.
Eventually got idea to give up your birthday. Ask for your age in money to give away. Drinks for Drinks night.
Give up your meals – eat rice & water for a month.
People are very imaginative – get out of their way. Gave page for them to put on their story of how they raised funds.
Catalyst attendees were then encouraged and inspired to give up their birthdays this year & sign up to say so.