|
IMPROVING HEALTH THRU INNOVATIVE WATER SOLUTIONS!
Washington DC, Washington DC
Cause Description:
Access to water is a basic human right and necessity. It's time to act to put an end to the hardship Mabule faces from a lack of safe drinking water. SOCOBA has partnered with WaterSeer, a science and technology company, that has developed a device which has the capability to condense water from air to regions of the world where water is scarce and people need it the most. WaterSeer has a prototype ready to be deployed across the globe and Mabule is set to benefit from this crucial technology.
ABOUT US
Rural area development and bringing community stakeholders together for a common cause are areas of experience and expertise Sego and Nick share. They understand the challenges and hurdles that come along with getting things done in hard to reach places like Mabule village. Resilience, patience and the ability to unite and excite people, have proven to be qualities Sego and Nick both share. This was proven during Nick’s service in the Peace Corps, where in addition to raising standardized testing scores to the highest Mariba Community Junior Secondary School had ever seen (an increase in the English pass rate from 33% to 82% during his tenure), he also successfully raised funds and built a community hall for the youth of the village that still exists today. This was also demonstrated during Sego’s National Service in Mabule where she served as a village news reporter and where she was also active in community development initiatives through village development committee and the Kgotla administration office. Through her commitment to working in partnership with the community she was able to make important and lasting connections that today have established the trust and confidence necessary to accomplish great things for the people of Mabule.
Together, Sego and Nick have witnessed firsthand the impact HIV/AIDS has had in Botswana, and they have felt the personal loss of Sego's own brother to the battle against HIV/AIDS. This family loss and the countless loss of others close to them in Mabule, in tandem with witnessing a generation of orphans, vulnerable, and youth with disabilities growing up with a multitude of needs, propelled the formation of SOCOBA. SOCOBA is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation based in Washington, DC USA and operating in Mabule, Botswana. SOCOBA’s vision is to enable orphaned, vulnerable, and youth with disabilities to be self-sufficient and responsible for their own personal health and well-being. www.socoba.org
THE PROBLEM
In addition to a myriad of health issues related to the impact HIV/AIDS has had on Mabule, a major obstacle they are currently facing is a lack of easily accessible drinking water. The impact this has had on their physical and psychological well-being and daily lives is tremendously overwhelming and destructive.
School aged youth are particularly impacted by the lack of accessible water. Often living with elderly and immobile extended family, they are pulled from school to fetch and transport water on a regular basis. This makes it virtually impossible to proceed and be successful with their education, and often school-aged youth drop out and fall victim to the same fate that their deceased parents have fallen to of poverty, disease, and death.
THE WAY OUT
Together, however, we have the collective power and potential to solve a piece of this dreadful cycle. The partnership between SOCOBA and WaterSeer has enormous capability to better the lives of thousands of people in Mabule. WaterSeer™ is a green, low maintenance, and mobile water solution for any individual or community. WaterSeer™ provides an endless supply of pure water for drinking, agriculture and nature. www.waterseer.org and www.socoba.org
WaterSeer devices will not only restore readily available water to the village and extremely needy families, but also these measures will help to restore the hope that there are better things to come in their future, and that there are people across the globe who care about their plight.
http://www.socoba.org/improving-health-through-...
YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS WILL GO TO AND WHAT YOU GET:
SOCOBA’s fundraising goal is $45,000 and here is how your focused support will impact this vital undertaking:
WaterSeer piloting installation program.
Borehole drilling and and installation.
On-going operation and maintenance of WaterSeer piloting project and expansion of numerous WaterSeer devices throughout the village to those who need them and would benefit them the most.
Water conservation, treatment, and recycling program development.
LASTING OUTCOMES
The impact of your contributions to this partnership will have long-term positive effects on the sustainability of SOCOBA’s future programming, as well as the health and well-being of Mabule youth and village as a whole:
Improved school attendance among school aged youth.
Improved quality of life and health.
Small-scale agricultural projects will be back on track, as well as open new opportunities created for future agriculture based developments.
Proper water usage and conservation methods will be widely implemented.
New directions in STEM programs at the primary and secondary school levels will be introduced and spark new innovations that can help solve rural area water sanitation issues.
Through an ongoing relationship with a local school in the Baltimore County area, cultural exchanges and relationships will be fostered.
Youth Girls in School.
CHALLENGES
Working in remote area poses multiple challenges and obstacles to overcome. Facing these challenges is SOCOBA's strength. We thrive in remote areas such as Mabule, and we have the experience and infrastructure knowledge to get things done here. We do, however, anticipate potential challenges in the areas of:
Funding
Transportation and communication.
Undeveloped infrastructure.
Stigma and discrimination due to a lack of education towards the most needy.
But with the partnership and collaboration that SOCOBA has centered its operational structure, we have no doubt that with everyone's support we will meet these challenges.
WHERE WE ARE
So far, we have made tremendous strides in establishing the infrastructure for the placement of WaterSeers in Mabule. Sego spent the past summer laying the groundwork for our water initiative, and here is where we’re at:
An environmental location assessment and feasibility study in consultation with the Village Development Committee (VDC), Mabule Village Chief and village Headmen, District Councilors, S&DC, US Peace Corps, and Primary and Secondary Schools was conducted.
A logistics plan to receive and transport the WaterSeers has been developed and is set to execute.
3 Apple MacBook computers were donated and set up for potential STEM programs related to this project, as well as for the monitoring and evaluation of the pilot.
The location of WaterSeer devices was established.
A partnership terms and agreement letter was drafted and signed with the Department of Water Affairs for future village youth and community based workshops on water conservation and proper storage and treatment.
A village kgotla meeting was held where the WaterSeer pilot program was explained and discussed among key village stakeholders and community members.
Mabule village community stakeholders and Village Development Committee is engaged and ready to deploy for the installation of WaterSeers. www.socoba.org and www.waterseer.org
Community partners and stakeholders coming together to discuss their village water needs.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
If you are unable to make financial contributions, there are also ways you can help the people of Mabule. You can share this link on your social media outlets, send email blasts, and tell your friends and family about the WaterSeer and SOCOBA Indiegogo water initiative. Also, Indiegogo has effective share tools that make it easy for you to share your care. Keeping your friends and family informed and engaged is a very important part of the service to our initiative. For further information, please go to:
http://www.socoba.org/improving-health-through-...
http://www.socoba.org/improving-health-through-...
To support IMPROVING HEALTH THRU INNOVATIVE WATER SOLUTIONS! with a free iGive account,
click here!
|
