by Michael | Jul 22, 2021 | Current Projects, Donors, News and Stories, Trip Updates, Well Projects
A window exists and I am taking it!
Quarantines, lockdowns, and curfews within India have lifted! For how long? No one really knows at this point, but this opening is what I have been waiting for in order to travel. I have the appropriate Business Visa to be allowed in the country, I have my negative COVID test and I am fully vaccinated, so the time is now to go!
My trip is threefold:
- To meet with a Pump Manufacturer to see if there are any economies of scale I can take advantage of for securing hand pumps for my projects.
- Visit projects recently completed in Tamil Nadu and Andra Pradesh.
- Reconnect in person with those we partner with.
Not having traveled for over 18 months has me somewhat anxious about the trip, yet I know that once I get on the plane, all of my experience will come back to me and this trip will be a welcome adventure.
My travel dates are the 23rd to August 8, and will be going through Doha on Qatar, which is a first, and something I swore I would never do, but here I am doing it.
COVID continues to disrupt lives all over the globe and I have no idea when things will get better, but I do know that need still exists all around us, which is why I am trying to do something in order to make a difference and create some lasting impact in the lives of rural men, women and children of India.
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by Michael | Apr 2, 2021 | Current Projects, Donors, News and Stories, Uncategorized, Well Projects
A year of COVID is behind us and yet many of us are still working from home and carrying out work via Teams or Zoom calls and were wondering when we can get rid of our masks and go back in public without fear of risking our health or that of others. No easy answers on this one, other many a viable vaccine or herd immunity.
India continues to experience its fair share of problems related to COVID and for me, her borders are still closed. Due to COVID, many restrictions have come into place with one of them being the cancellation of all previously issued Visas. I have since applied for a new Visa and was granted a 1-year Visa with 3 visits starting in June and extending to May of 2022. Not ideal for me but I will have to make it work.
Thankfully much of what Wells for Life accomplishes is carried out in India independent of my presence. In fact, COVID has shown me that our partners are more than competent and have done a fantastic job in carrying on and seeing our mission of providing clean, safe water accomplished in 60 new places last year. That is right! 60 places received clean, safe drinking water despite COVID and despite a 30% drop in giving.
I can only imagine once the economy starts picking up and people feel the freedom to give, what we will be able to accomplish.
There is no lack of villages to touch with clean water, so when you are ready to give, we are ready to receive your gift and make the most out of it.
To give and support our work in 2021, visit Donate | Wells for Life
Stay safe and let us believe together that better days are ahead!!
by Michael | Aug 12, 2020 | Current Projects, Donors, News and Stories, Trip Updates, Well Projects
There may not be a lot of good news in the media, but I have cause to celebrate!
COVID may still be occupying most of the headlines worldwide and resultantly negatively affecting the economy as well as the hopes and dreams of countless others, yet I have a reason to get up and dance. Reason being that within the last few weeks I’ve funded 17 projects in 3 different states. 
You might not think that’s celebration worthy but considering donations have fallen off dramatically since COVID first hit and its now August, and yet I’m still able to drill wells; well that’s cause for me to say “raise the roof”. I would also bet that for the 17 villages, schools and/or communities which will have access to these new projects, representing thousands of lives.
I read an article the other day which spoke of the spread of COVID in India and how it’s producing large numbers of positive cases in the rural populations of 10 states and many think India soon will surpass the US in total number of cases and in deaths. What happens in the future with COVID remains to be seen, interestingly though is that all of our work is within 7 of the 10 states that are experiencing the most number of positive cases. What I take from this fact is simple; we’re at work in rural areas which are impacted significantly by COVID. This creates an opportunity for me to not shrink from the challenge but embrace it and look for opportunities to make a difference.
When these projects are completed, we will have brought water to 43 new places in 2020 and hopefully another 10 to 20 projects will happen before the year closes out.
