Safe Water for All
As the world observes World Water Day, CDC and global health partners continue to advance the development and use of systems and technologies to improve access to safe water. As the manager of stewardship and donor relations at the CDC Foundation, I have the privilege of working with Dr. Eugene and Rose Gangarosa, who have made providing safe water a lifelong commitment.
Dr. Eugene Gangarosa, a retired CDC scientist and researcher, developed a simple technology that has made safe water a reality to even the poorest families in the most remote parts of the globe. Called the Safe Water System, it combines water treatment using inexpensive diluted bleach solution and safe water storage using narrow-mouthed containers and lids.
To provide an ongoing source of support for CDC's safe water initiatives, Dr. Gangarosa and his wife, Rose, established the Gangarosa Endowment for Safe Water in May 2000. Since 2003, the fund has raised more than $80,000 and supported water-related projects in places such as Haiti, Kenya and Madagascar.
I hope that you will join me in celebrating World Water Day 2012 by making a gift to the CDC Foundation's Gangarosa Endowment for Safe Water. Right now, every gift that is made to the endowment up to a total of $3,000 will be matched dollar for dollar by Gene and Rose Gangarosa. You can make a gift at cdcfoundation.org/give
From Eugene Gangarosa, M.D.: "When we talk about health for all, it implies a responsibility for people to join together to close the gap, particularly for safe water, which is the starting point for all public health interventions. In this world of geopolitical uncertainty, closing the gap has a greater urgency that ever before. Rose and I know of no better investment in our children's future than supporting CDC's safe water initiatives."
From Rose Gangarosa: "The enormity of the problem cries out for help. It’s amazing how a little funding with the CDC Foundation can go so far. Our safe water endowment started with a simple idea, and the momentum and support continues to grow beyond our wildest dreams."