In a world where 22,000 people die each day due to poverty, 50% of the world population live of less than $2.50 a day and over 40% of people live without access to toilets, it’s easy to see there’s a need. The numbers are staggering, and it’s often difficult to comprehend just how big the need is.
Even if you can begin to understand those numbers, they’re overwhelming.
But what’s more powerful is when you actually begin to get under the skin of those numbers. Behind all the statistics and figures are people. Brothers, friends, neighbours, mothers. Each of them have their own needs, and they are the people we want to help.
CMaD (UK) works in Africa and Eastern Europe to help those in real need. By funding sustainable down to earth projects, CMaD works ‘from the bottom up’, enabling those in need to look after themselves through education, training, and providing the enablers for people to continually help themselves. It’s amazing to see how providing something as simple as clean water, or basic medicine acts as a catalyst for change. When you built a borehole, for example, you’re not just giving fresh drinking water to that community. Your also giving that community the ability to grown their own crops, stop the spread of disease, hydrate their cattle, not to mention taking away the previous long trips to other water sources. Silvia’s video at the top of this page really illustrates just how powerful this approach is.
CMaD is very conscious of how the funds are used to help those in need and always tries to plan for the long term. What’s also great is that, because CMaD is run by a team of volunteers, it’s able to give almost all donations straight to the projects it supports – about 97% of donations go directly to our projects, something we’re very proud of.