Water for Rachel Beckwith

This story isn't about Iselin in anyway.  I just decided to share it because when I read it, I sat here and cried at my desk.

Rachel - photo from Samantha Paul

It's about a little girl named Rachel, and about her last birthday wish.

I read this story in a New York Times Op-Ed column, and you can read that column HERE. 

Rachel must have been a very sensitive and giving child, because she had done charitable things before.  She'd donated to Locks of Love when she was very little.  And then her church started working with a group called charity:water.

This is from the NY Times Column by Nicholas D. Kristof:

"Her church began raising money to build wells in Africa through an organization called charity:water. Rachel was aghast when she learned that other children had no clean water, so she asked to skip having a ninth birthday party. In lieu of presents, she asked her friends to donate $9 each to charity:water for water projects in Africa.
Rachel’s ninth birthday was on June 12, and she had set up a birthday page on the charity:water Web site with a target of $300. Alas, Rachel was able to raise only $220 — which had left her just a bit disappointed.

Then, on July 20, as Rachel was riding with her family on the highway, two trucks collided and created a 13-car pileup. Rachel’s car was hit by one of the trucks, and although the rest of her family was unhurt, Rachel was left critically injured.

Church members and friends, seeking some way of showing support, began donating on Rachel’s birthday page — charitywater.org/Rachel — and donations surged past her $300 goal, and kept mounting. As family and friends gathered around Rachel’s bedside, they were able to tell her — even not knowing whether she couldn’t hear them — that she had exceeded... $47,544...."  

I visited her page on the Charity:water website.  It's heartbreaking to read what she wrote: 

On June 12th 2011, I'm turning 9. I found out that millions of people don't live to see their 5th birthday. And why? Because they didn't have access to clean, safe water so I'm celebrating my birthday like never before. I'm asking from everyone I know to donate to my campaign instead of gifts for my birthday. Every penny of the money raised will go directly to fund freshwater projects in developing nations. Even better, every dollar is "proved" when the projects are complete, and photos and GPS coordinates are posted using Google Earth. My goal is to raise $300 by my birthday, June 12, 2011. Please consider helping me.

Thank you so much!!!

And when I checked, the donations in her name had surpassed a million dollars...


The fact that she's raised so much money already might make you think that you don't need to donate to this cause.  On the other hand, when you think about how much we have here in the USA compared to other countries, and how generous a child like Rachel can be... well, it  makes me want to donate even more.  So, if you are interested, you can go to the website, HERE, and donate in honor of a little girl who has done more good in her short 9 years of life than so many other people do in 90 years.

And if you still aren't convinced, watch this video:

Water Changes Everything. from charity: water on Vimeo.