
(This post is part of the 40 Day Fast. Check out more entries here.)
Standing in the beverage isle at Target one morning, it occurred to me that Bono was right: freedom really does look like too many choices. I was buying bottled water for a day at the beach, and in front of me were no less than eight different brands, all promising nirvana-like levels of refreshment.

My choices ranged from the store brand to “smarter” water; pristine water from Norway to an untouched-by-man brand from Fiji; and purple, grape-flavored water inspired by 50 Cent. Its entourage of vitamins could help me claw my way to the top, the label read.
For the 1.1 billion people on the planet (that’s about one in six) the choice is always the same: dirty water and dirtier water. Sometimes, with leeches. From a swamp where animals relieve themselves. If there’s any water at all. There I was, trying to decide what to buy when the water in my toilet’s reservoir — water I yell at my dog for drinking — is cleaner than the water 1.1 billion people have access to.
Those are the people that Nicky Yates and the staff of charity: water are helping by providing access to clean, safe drinking water. In less than two years, charity: has funded over 600 projects in 11 countries that will provide 250,000 people with clean water. The method is simple: you buy a $20 bottle of spring water and, thanks to donors and partners, 100% of the proceeds directly fund water and sanitation projects on the ground.
Yates, 26, is an Alabama native who began her humanitarian work in Africa and Central Asia after high school. She earned a master’s degree in psychology and worked as a child victim specialist with the New York County district attorney’s office, but “the call of Africa wouldn’t stop,” she said. Here, Yates discusses her work at charity: and creative ways you can help provide safe drinking water for those in need.
Q. How did you get involved with charity?
A. I heard about [founder Scott Harrison’s] vision after he came back from his travels with Mercy Ships. I started out volunteering. The more I got involved, the more I wanted to be involved. The grassroots effort, the hip vibe, the passion, and the genuine, personal nature of the people and organization really drew me in. I learned about the water crisis during my previous travels but didn’t know what could be done to help. charity: water made it easy to do something that would directly make an impact. With a staff of five, we all do a bit of everything! But I focus a lot of my time and attention to being Scott’s assistant. I also help with event planning, fielding corporate donors and their requests, handling media requests, coordinating volunteers, and general office management.
Q. You’ve worked in Namibia and Kazakhstan. What was that like?
A. I traveled first to rural Namibia right out of high school. It was community development mission trip. We went there to help raise awareness about the AIDS situation, but we wanted to really get to know the culture and the community first. As a woman, I assisted the other women in the community with getting their daily water from the British embassy, about a mile away. We weren’t allowed to shower but once a week and for five minutes, due to the water situation. It just blew my mind. I was used to 45 minute baths everyday, sometimes twice a day. I never thought about the fact that this could be something that someone didn’t have.

The next summer I went to Almaty, Kazakhstan, again for community development. This time I was staying in an urban area, but we still didn’t have water to spare. We’d have to heat up a bucket of water for the entire household’s showering needs. And we were permitted a kettle’s worth of water a day for other hygiene and sanitation purposes.
These two experiences were probably the most enlightening of my life. I learned so much about myself and how to love like my God does. During these two trips, I realized that while I grew up below the poverty line, I had more than I could ever need. I became really grateful for the little things that were provided everyday for me. I came back, and I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to actively helping others.
Q. How does your faith factor into your work?
A. My faith is my drive. One of my favorite verses is “comfort others with the comfort with which you’ve been met.” After coming back from Namibia, I realized how much my Father in heaven had provided for me. I want to spend my life helping others and giving them out of the abundance I have. I believe that we’re called to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. For me, this means living a compassionate life and I can do that by using my professional skills to help get the basics to those in need. It’s easy to become jaded today with so much need around us. My faith keeps me grounded and encouraged that there is help. I know without God, I would be so burned out.
The other amazing thing about working at charity: water is that we’ll get together and pray. We recognize it’s all Him at the end of the day anyway. So, it’s such a relief to be able to lift it up and know that if charity: water fails or succeeds, it’s in His hands. There’s something about knowing it’s not all up to me.

Q. What’s new with charity:?
A. Our next focus is our september campaign. We’re looking to provide 333 communities in Ethiopia with clean, safe drinking water. We’ll need $1.5 million raised. It’s a huge goal, and we’re looking to accomplish it by inviting individuals who were born in September to give up birthday presents for this year. Instead of gifts, we’re asking their friends and families for donations equivalent to their age. We’ll have 33 communities on our site, each with a different story and video. We’ll be traveling to Ethiopia in September to video the drilling process as it starts.
We’re also expanding to Honduras this summer, and I’ll be [there] for a week to view some communities. Our projects in Honduras will be 25 freshwater wells. During our trip, we’ll be viewing 45 sites for the freshwater wells that will be funded by our Saks partnership La Mosquitia in central Honduras. We’re really excited to be in that area. After that, we’ll be focusing on our third annual charity: ball here in New York.
Q. How else can people get involved?
A. We have a weekly volunteer night here at our office every Wednesday night. If interested, they can email us at info@charitywater.org to get more details. We look to volunteers to help raise awareness by telling others about the water. We can ship DVDs and information to equip these people to go out and spread the word.
Then we have individual fundraisers. These people get creative with how they raise money for a well. We have engaged couples, individuals biking across America or Africa, old college roommates hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro, and people not having parties. It’s really cute to read their stories. One engaged couple is not having a wedding. Instead of spending the money on a wedding dress or bridesmaid dresses or a cake, they’re donating what they would’ve spent on those items toward a well.
I’m also working with a 12 year-old who is raising money for a well in Ethiopia for his bar mitzvah. He’s raised over $3,000! It’s incredible. He goes to the parks on the weekends with his little brother and sells our wrist bands. It really shows the power of one.
What You Can Do Right Now
Buy a bottle of water. Or two. Or a case.
Buy a fundraising kit.
Add charity: as a friend on Facebook, MySpace or Virb. Make them your top friend, where people can see it.
Get your team, office, or school involved.
Volunteer.
Take a look at what others have said about charity:
Watch the videos from last year’s september initiative.
Go to charity: for more info.