This Thursday I am turning 29. Yes, I am a woman. And yes, I did just publicly admit my age.

Quite frankly I don't care if you know how old I am. But, that's besides the point. It's always bothered me that my birthday puts so much attention on me. The older I get the more uncomfortable I feel when people ask me what to give me for my birthday. First of all, I have a job and can afford the things I need. Second of all, the things I would request for my birthday are more than someone wants to pay (i.e. that new MacBook Pro that I need to upgrade too).

Here's my shtick, I want to do something that's going to change the quality of life for someone else. That's why I decided to give up my birthday this year to support charity: water. What that means is, I want to build a well to give people clean water. There are a billion people in the world that have no access to clean water. What does that mean for them? Disease.

A quote from the charity: water website states:

Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren't strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illness.

90% of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are to children under five years old. Many of these diseases are preventable. The UN predicts that one tenth of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation.

I want to change the world. We have to stop addressing these problems with fatalistic attitudes. Don't think that just because you are one person means that you can's change the world. If you weren't here, the world would be a whole heck of a lot different. So, don't underestimate the impact your one life can make on the world.

So, back to my shtick. Most of you weren't even thinking about giving me a birthday gift. But would you consider donating money to build a well. It costs $5,000 to build a well that will revolutionize the lives of 250 people (now that's a number you can sink your teeth into). Will you join me?