Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of kindness.

Greetings generous friend! Thanks for clicking on my link!

My name is Padraic and I am raising money for a summer internship in Uganda through the international developmental organization, Uganda Village Project (UVP). As an intern at UVP, I will be the project leader of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Team. With this six-person team (which includes two Ugandans), I’ll be working in several villages to plan, design, and implement effective measures to sustainably improve local clean-water, hygiene, and sanitation infrastructure.

By coordinating with community members from the very rural, very poor Iganga District of Uganda, my team will have several responsibilities, including (but not limited to):
• evaluating the effectiveness of existing water infrastructure
• improving inadequate systems (for example, by organizing well clean-up days)
• constructing clean water structures like wells and “tippy taps” (see link below)
• working with local schools to implement educational programs on handwashing and proper hygiene

Pretty great, right? Unfortunately, for all that work I’ll be doing, I won’t be getting paid. In fact, all of the costs of the program have to be raised by the interns themselves. (Gasp!) Such costs include airfare, food and lodging, administrative expenses, vaccinations, and all of the expenses of implementing the projects themselves. For example, a typical shallow-water well costs $800 to construct. When all is said and done, that adds up to about $4000–a pretty penny for a pauper like Padraic.

Before you check out Uganda Village Project’s website, I just want to assure you that UVP really does make a positive impact on the communities in which they work. In a typical year, UVP interns will facilitate the construction of 17 wells, providing clean water to over 8000 individuals. AND, they meticulously and regularly assess the effectiveness of their projects–of the six teams going to Uganda this summer, four teams will solely be devoted to the task of monitoring and evaluating existing programs.

Therefore, I urge YOU, my wonderful friend, to donate money to this cause. The more the merrier. Just click on that shiny, tempting, green button on the top of this webpage. You know you want to…

Thanks a million!
Padraic

Also, check out these relevant links for more information:
• Uganda Village Project website: www.ugandavillageproject.org
• What is a “tippy tap”? Find out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdpd3roZjYw
• The economic argument for investing in developing world health systems: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/dec/03/global-health-disparities-end-60bn-funding
• Amazing video of Ugandan kids dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw8gO-ro6Zs
• My favorite goal by Lionel Messi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N42dkvKrSj8

Also! While I’ll be toiling in rural African villages this summer–with no running water, no electricity, battling ants and mosquitos–I’ll be missing the greatest sports event this planet has ever known: the FIFA World Cup! For those of you who know me well, that’s a pretty big deal. I’m telling you this just to point out my dedication to this project.