Q & A with clean water movement staff member vince greenwald
February 25, 2012
Miranda Maher, photographer & staff writer
Q: Explain what the Clean Water Movement is.
A: CWM is a 501c3 non-profit that exists to fund well projects all around the world. One-eighth of the world has no access to clean water and we are changing that statistic one person at a time through sustainable and reproducible well drilling methods. We have funded ten wells in Bolivia so far, 8 of which have already been drilled, and are currently funding projects in Bolivia, Kosovo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Q: How was the Clean Water Movement started?
A: CWM was started by my friend Dustin Brooks around a year ago. He began CWM after going to Bolivia and seeing that there was tremendous need for water organizations but none of them were working there. A huge part of our mission is to be working in the places that are overlooked by the hundreds of other water charities out there.
Q: How did you get involved?
A: I got involved this fall through my friendship with Dustin. The more I heard about the organization, the more interested I was in helping spread the movement. That's one of the coolest things about CWM. None of us are taking any money for this and so many people have volunteered their talents, from designing logos to making movies to planning CWM events. It really has become a grassroots movement. People are offering their time and talents and resources to change people's lives.
Q: How can others get involved in the Clean Water Movement?
A: There are a lot of ways that you can get involved with CWM, but perhaps the most important thing you can do is to raise awareness for the cause. Tell your friends about the crisis and what CWM is doing to change things. And don't think that because you don't have piles of cash at your disposal, you can't help. We just started the two dollar movement. Two dollars a month for just one year (24$ total) provides clean water for a Bolivian or Ugandan for ten to fifteen years. Two dollars a week for a year would provide water for four Bolivians or Ugandans. We spend $2 every day on a pop or a coffee. Your spare change can change a life. Sign up today at cleanwatermovement.org and join the $2 movement event on Facebook.
Q: What does it personally mean to you?
A: To me, my work with CWM is all about loving God and loving my neighbor. I have been blessed to be a blessing. By that, I mean that I have been given so much. In response, I want to bless others by providing the simple and essential need for clean water. It is so easy to look at the numbers and say, "What could I ever do?" But they aren't statistics, they are people, and I believe that we are called to use the resources we have been given and help.
Miranda Maher, photographer & staff writer
Q: Explain what the Clean Water Movement is.
A: CWM is a 501c3 non-profit that exists to fund well projects all around the world. One-eighth of the world has no access to clean water and we are changing that statistic one person at a time through sustainable and reproducible well drilling methods. We have funded ten wells in Bolivia so far, 8 of which have already been drilled, and are currently funding projects in Bolivia, Kosovo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Q: How was the Clean Water Movement started?
A: CWM was started by my friend Dustin Brooks around a year ago. He began CWM after going to Bolivia and seeing that there was tremendous need for water organizations but none of them were working there. A huge part of our mission is to be working in the places that are overlooked by the hundreds of other water charities out there.
Q: How did you get involved?
A: I got involved this fall through my friendship with Dustin. The more I heard about the organization, the more interested I was in helping spread the movement. That's one of the coolest things about CWM. None of us are taking any money for this and so many people have volunteered their talents, from designing logos to making movies to planning CWM events. It really has become a grassroots movement. People are offering their time and talents and resources to change people's lives.
Q: How can others get involved in the Clean Water Movement?
A: There are a lot of ways that you can get involved with CWM, but perhaps the most important thing you can do is to raise awareness for the cause. Tell your friends about the crisis and what CWM is doing to change things. And don't think that because you don't have piles of cash at your disposal, you can't help. We just started the two dollar movement. Two dollars a month for just one year (24$ total) provides clean water for a Bolivian or Ugandan for ten to fifteen years. Two dollars a week for a year would provide water for four Bolivians or Ugandans. We spend $2 every day on a pop or a coffee. Your spare change can change a life. Sign up today at cleanwatermovement.org and join the $2 movement event on Facebook.
Q: What does it personally mean to you?
A: To me, my work with CWM is all about loving God and loving my neighbor. I have been blessed to be a blessing. By that, I mean that I have been given so much. In response, I want to bless others by providing the simple and essential need for clean water. It is so easy to look at the numbers and say, "What could I ever do?" But they aren't statistics, they are people, and I believe that we are called to use the resources we have been given and help.