On the 5th of October I'm turning 30!!!

My birthday wish this year is not for more gifts I don't need; it's to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion living without it. Instead of a present I'm asking everyone to donate to charity:water. To see how the charity began check out the video in the box to the right...

Charity: water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water, hygiene and basic sanitation to people in developing nations. Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water. Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old.

Many communities in developing nations often have a plentiful supply of clean water just below the ground, but no way to get to it. Charity: water uses 100% of donations (they receive gifts in kind to cover all operating expenses) to water projects. On their website you can view photos and GPS coordinates plotted in Google Earth of every well they have built!

Please bear in mind that that company is American and therefore the donation amount is in American dollars so take into account the exchange rate of approx A$1.00 to US$0.85 (therefore A$10.00 is US$8.50).

My goal is to raise US$1000 by my birthday. This will provide clean safe water for approximately 50 people!!

Thanks for your donations :)