Good Deed Week #27

Good Deed #189. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to caribou, snow fox and millions of migratory birds. But this natural treasure is constantly under siege. Time and time again, the oil industry has sought to open this special place to harmful new drilling, threatening all of the wildlife that depend on it for survival. And now President Bush has called for drilling in the Arctic Refuge by 2010 in his new budget proposal. I signed a pledge urging congress to permanently protect the Arctic Refuge! If you would like to sign, please click here.

Good Deed #190. In Billi, 512 households face an increasing water crisis. Severe drought over the past couple of years has severely depleted the water tables and most of the public water points run dry for 7 months a year. Other wells are contaminated with arsenic and are blocked from use. Families often resort to getting their drinking water from open, contaminated sources. These problems are further compounded by poor sanitation practices, leading to increased incidences of diseases and child mortality. My donation is helping a project that consists of constructing 20 new borehole wells with hand-pumps and drainage systems, and pit latrines for 512 households. The project also includes health education, community development and technical training.