salomeU2000
The Fly
Featured Cause : African Well Fund
By Simone Schramm
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/cause/awfhomepg_thumb.jpg[/SIMG]
Following last year's MTV and Oprah Winfrey shows on Bono's trip to Africa with former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O?Neill, many U2 fans were moved by the AIDS emergency highlighted in the program. Fans saw the devastation for themselves and did not just hear about it only to turn a blind eye.
A core group of U2 fans went one step further - beyond the AIDS pandemic to find out what they can do to ease the burden of extreme poverty that has ravaged most of Africa. The idea for African Well Fund surfaced when fans saw the daily struggle villagers, namely women, go through just to get water; something that most rich countries take for granted. For the most part, the water they do get is riddled with disease-causing germs, bacteria and mosquitoes. It is also the responsibility of women to walk quite a distance to obtain water for their families and households.
The African Well Fund is a new web-based charity formed by U2 fans that realized it?s easier to focus on one achievable goal. Their goal is to provide Africans with easy access to clean, usable water. Why focus on water? According to the group?s website, more than half of Africa?s people lack access to safe drinking water, leaving them vulnerable to water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and infectious hepatitis. Food production also suffers from water shortage and only 4 percent of Africa?s renewable water is used. Most Africans lack wells, canals, pumps, reservoirs and other irrigation systems needed to bring clean water to villages.
On October 14, 2002, Joanna Sanchez came up with the idea to recruit other U2 fans that felt the same way. With tireless effort on the part of those volunteering, it took approximately 14 weeks for the website to go live on Jan. 24, 2003.
"One thing I'd like to say is that this whole project has been an amazing experience. We have a core group of dedicated people who all pitch in to do whatever needs to be done," said Diane Emmons Yoder, AWF's business manager. "Just like it's impossible to imagine U2 existing without any one of the four - it's impossible to imagine the Well Fund without anyone of the Board of Directors."
One hundred percent of the donations to the AWF will go to Africare, a non-profit organization founded in 1970 that supports many relief projects in Africa. These projects include building wells. When donating to the AWF, the money will go specifically to building wells, separate from other causes Africare deals with. With that in mind, the founding members of The AWF realized that Africare would be the best organization to work with - as it is one of the leading private, non-profit organizations assisting Africa in the United States. Not only will this money build new wells, it will be used to maintain them. The volunteers chose Africare after weeks of carefully researching non profit organizations that build wells in Africa.
According to Julie Cook, Media Development Coordinator for the AWF, the group has one of the highest star ratings possible for a non-profit; they have virtually no overhead, and they spend no money on public relations materials. They also have offices in several African countries, which employ Africans.
Through their research, volunteers were astonished that the cost of a well is relatively inexpensive - approximately $500 to $1,000 USD. And through early donations, some of them substantial, the AWF has already raised enough funds to build their first well.
"All of us were extremely happy and grateful at the amount that was donated in such a short time. We had some large donations so that really helped,'' said Cook. "We do feel however, that there is a large U2 fanbase out there that is untapped. This is a chance for fans of U2 to really make a difference in Africa."
Bono once said that no matter how large or small, a personal donation can make a big difference in the lives of Africans.
Through the website, the AWF will provide updates on wells built from the money donated and the resulting effects on the villages. The group will also provide educational information on the plight of Africa as well as links to other organizations that assist Africa.
"This is an opportunity for U2 fans to affect positive change by visiting the site and learning about how important clean water is and also through donating," said Sanchez who is overwhelmed at how great the response from the U2 fan community has been.
"We want to keep the momentum building,'' she said.
For more information on how to donate or get involved, you can join the African Well Fund yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/u2sangel2001 or visit the African Well Fund website at www.africanwellfund.org
By Simone Schramm
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/cause/awfhomepg_thumb.jpg[/SIMG]
Following last year's MTV and Oprah Winfrey shows on Bono's trip to Africa with former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O?Neill, many U2 fans were moved by the AIDS emergency highlighted in the program. Fans saw the devastation for themselves and did not just hear about it only to turn a blind eye.
A core group of U2 fans went one step further - beyond the AIDS pandemic to find out what they can do to ease the burden of extreme poverty that has ravaged most of Africa. The idea for African Well Fund surfaced when fans saw the daily struggle villagers, namely women, go through just to get water; something that most rich countries take for granted. For the most part, the water they do get is riddled with disease-causing germs, bacteria and mosquitoes. It is also the responsibility of women to walk quite a distance to obtain water for their families and households.
The African Well Fund is a new web-based charity formed by U2 fans that realized it?s easier to focus on one achievable goal. Their goal is to provide Africans with easy access to clean, usable water. Why focus on water? According to the group?s website, more than half of Africa?s people lack access to safe drinking water, leaving them vulnerable to water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and infectious hepatitis. Food production also suffers from water shortage and only 4 percent of Africa?s renewable water is used. Most Africans lack wells, canals, pumps, reservoirs and other irrigation systems needed to bring clean water to villages.
On October 14, 2002, Joanna Sanchez came up with the idea to recruit other U2 fans that felt the same way. With tireless effort on the part of those volunteering, it took approximately 14 weeks for the website to go live on Jan. 24, 2003.
"One thing I'd like to say is that this whole project has been an amazing experience. We have a core group of dedicated people who all pitch in to do whatever needs to be done," said Diane Emmons Yoder, AWF's business manager. "Just like it's impossible to imagine U2 existing without any one of the four - it's impossible to imagine the Well Fund without anyone of the Board of Directors."
One hundred percent of the donations to the AWF will go to Africare, a non-profit organization founded in 1970 that supports many relief projects in Africa. These projects include building wells. When donating to the AWF, the money will go specifically to building wells, separate from other causes Africare deals with. With that in mind, the founding members of The AWF realized that Africare would be the best organization to work with - as it is one of the leading private, non-profit organizations assisting Africa in the United States. Not only will this money build new wells, it will be used to maintain them. The volunteers chose Africare after weeks of carefully researching non profit organizations that build wells in Africa.
According to Julie Cook, Media Development Coordinator for the AWF, the group has one of the highest star ratings possible for a non-profit; they have virtually no overhead, and they spend no money on public relations materials. They also have offices in several African countries, which employ Africans.
Through their research, volunteers were astonished that the cost of a well is relatively inexpensive - approximately $500 to $1,000 USD. And through early donations, some of them substantial, the AWF has already raised enough funds to build their first well.
"All of us were extremely happy and grateful at the amount that was donated in such a short time. We had some large donations so that really helped,'' said Cook. "We do feel however, that there is a large U2 fanbase out there that is untapped. This is a chance for fans of U2 to really make a difference in Africa."
Bono once said that no matter how large or small, a personal donation can make a big difference in the lives of Africans.
Through the website, the AWF will provide updates on wells built from the money donated and the resulting effects on the villages. The group will also provide educational information on the plight of Africa as well as links to other organizations that assist Africa.
"This is an opportunity for U2 fans to affect positive change by visiting the site and learning about how important clean water is and also through donating," said Sanchez who is overwhelmed at how great the response from the U2 fan community has been.
"We want to keep the momentum building,'' she said.
For more information on how to donate or get involved, you can join the African Well Fund yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/u2sangel2001 or visit the African Well Fund website at www.africanwellfund.org
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