ⓘ Part of the Water Relief Appeal - East Africa
What impact could you have when you raise money together? It can be fun, powerful and a way to inspire and encourage each other.
Consider working together as a class, small group, youth group or business to grow your impact in raising money for safe water for those who need it most.
When you make a $25 donation to Tearfund’s Water Relief Appeal, you’ll be sharing the gift of clean water with someone facing water scarcity in East Africa. Then, tie a ribbon around a tap you use daily to remind yourself of how precious the gift of water is.
As you fill your water bottle or wash your dishes, let the ribbon remind you to pause and pray for people living without access to safe water. Choose a tap that others use too – the family bathroom, workplace kitchen, school drinking fountain – and let it spark conversations and inspire a flow of generous giving!
We need to raise $250,000 to help 10,000 people in East Africa access life-giving safe water, and each $25 donation will help us reach that goal together. Imagine 10,000 taps exploding in colour and hope for people to receive the gift of water!
1. Have a competition to see which household or group can have the most ribbons on a tap by a set date.
2. Water is precious! Consider keeping a tally of the times you wash your hands each day, or need to access fresh water.
3. Make it personal: find a friend or two, and together make a commitment to avoiding disposable cups and bottles for Lent or another specified amount of time.
Download and print posters to display alongside taps in your workplace, church, home or school. These posters will prompt people to think as they wash their hands or grab a drink of water: help share the message about the water crisis in East Africa, and make it easy for people to take action and donate via the QR code on the posters.
Download printable postersSpread the word, share why you’re thankful for the gift of clean water, and give your friends an easy way to get on board. Here’s how you can use your social media to raise awareness and encourage generosity for Tearfund’s Water Relief Appeal - East Africa:
1. Snap a pic of your go-to water bottle, your favourite drink, or your coffee gear.
2. Tie a ribbon as a reminder of how precious the gift of water is. If you're sharing on Instagram Stories, add our custom-designed ribbon sticker! Search for ‘TheGiftofWater’ in the sticker section and include it in your story
3. Share why water is essential in your life and show your support for bringing water relief to everyone. You can follow the template below.
4. Tag your friends and challenge them to dive into the action.
First of all, look at your most recent water bill, and check out the section that provides information on your daily water use. Divide that litre amount by how many people in your household. Consider then, that in many places Tearfund works, clean water is only accessible by walking some distance (around two hours each way for Jamilla, the woman mentioned on our appeal webpage), is available only in very limited supply, or isn’t available at all - forcing people to use water that carries disease.
Discuss together how much water you use per person per day, and get a picture of what that looks like by measuring out a portion - such as two or 5 litres.
Consider your own water use as a possible focus for your Lent. It could be creating a small water feature on your dining table as a daily reminder for thanksgiving and prayer, looking at references in the Bible about water each week, or considering a way you can save some precious water together as a household.
Many of us enjoy a morning walk or a stroll after dinner, but young Tearfund supporter Matthew Tomlins recently took things a step (or many!) further, and strapped on his sneakers to walk non-stop for 24 hours!
He had a pretty clear motivation: raising funds in support of the work of Tearfund’s partners in water and sanitation. He set up a cash donation box at school as well as an online fundraising platform, and arranged with his local gym to walk on a treadmill for 24 hours.
“What kept me walking was the thought that other people around the world have it tougher, and the thought that if I had given up anywhere after starting, it would’ve been a waste of potential. I promised myself to keep going until the 24 hours had finished.”
Matthew first heard of Tearfund through his grandma, who used to send Useful Gifts to his family every year. Through his 24-hour walk, he raised around $3800 for Tearfund.
“I decided to raise money for Tearfund as I think that having access to clean drinking water should be a natural human right as it is here in Australia,” says Matthew. “We often take that for granted, not thinking about some countries where people have to walk hours just for water, which may not even be clean.
“My message to anyone who wants to take action for a better world is just to do it … if you sit there and think about if you should do it, it won't get done."
You can help bring water relief to those who need it most.
