There are rare moments when I have an opportunity to engage directly with saving lives. This past April, I traveled with five amazing women (including two Good News Girlz) and one fortunate man to Honduras to do just that. I saw change.


On our trip, I met precious twins that are right around nine weeks old. They were born prematurely and weighed just over two pounds at birth. The mother was unable to care for these babies right away because she suffered severe hemorrhaging and kidney failure, caused by malnutrition, post labor. At first thought, these babies had little to no chance of survival. However, their grandmother carried them to the home of our Honduras partners, Henry and Cindy Lowman, to ask for help.

In Honduras, it is crucial that babies breast-feed because the water used for formula by mass majority is full of bacteria and disease. Cindy and her family gave these babies a hope for a future by taking sanitary bottles and clean water to the family every few days.

This story touched me in my soul. Something as simple as pouring formula and water into a bottle can be as deadly as a firearm. I babysit regularly and with each bottle I fill, never have I worried for that child's life. Not every human shares my certainty. It is stories like this one that make what we do as Greater Works- as humans- so important.

The well that we dug in Honduras is on the grounds of the hospital in La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras. In speaking with the hospital Director and Chief of Surgery, I learned that this hospital services the entire state of Intibucá- more than 200,000 people. They see an average of 70,000 patients including 3,500 births annually. There are approximately 75 beds in the hospital. The staff also informed me that they would not wash their hands before and after every procedure because the water at the hospital was not good.

There is a Women's Center located behind the hospital where women come one month prior to their due date so that they will have access to a doctor during childbirth. This Center is also a place for women to recover from surgical procedures before traveling back into the mountains, often times a four-hour hike.

The GW well will provide clean water to both the hospital and the Women's Center. The well is pumping 45 gallons per second when turned on and 5 gallons per second at rest. The 5 gallons per second will be used to irrigate a garden adjacent the Women's Center that provides nutrient rich vegetables to the patients!

I cannot begin to express how it feels to be a part of something bigger than myself. I can however, invite you to join me in the Greater Works that are happening every day. Doing Greater Works is easy- it does not require much sacrifice to make a big difference in the world- all we have to do is recognize opportunities to participate in things that matter. With a little discipline and self-awareness we can save lives. I would like to challenge each of us to notice the people in our lives that need help, the people that live next door or work at our favorite Starbucks, the people that live in Africa or Honduras that are part of our shared humanity, the people that call us family- we can help them. This is Greater Works.

It is exciting to share that this project is complete and two villages in Andhra Pradesh, India now have clean water! The villages are Chandrugonda and Durga Colony and each is home to around 500 people. The wells will provide clean water to these families for generations to come. A very special thanks to all who helped with the GW 2011 Auction, FTK Construction, Mark and Tamara and Kori LaFargue for making these wells possible. Greater Works are happening...

What a great way to start the year! Our first 2011 Clean Water India Project was completed in Veeravelly this February!

Veeravelly is a village community in Andhra Pradesh, India. Most of the people are part of scheduled tribes although, some higher classes live in this area. There are 500 houses with 3,000 adults and 600 children living in Veeravelly. The villagers are suffering from viral fevers, joint problems, lack of fluoride and water born diseases.

We are excited to announce that 100 families will be fully dependent on this bore well- representing about 430 people who now have fresh drinking water! Check out our pictures from Veeravelly below!

It is first with gratitude, then excitement that we share the great success we had in Rwanda! The clean water well that the Greater Works Community built for an orphanage in the village of Kibilira this February is pumping clean water for the entire village of 5,000 people to drink! Greater Works are happening. Be sure to view the pictures from our Rwanda Project below!

We are thrilled to announce that by the end of 2010 GW has completed two India Clean Water Projects!

Our partners in a small village in Northeast India shared the following story: Our people suffer greatly from water scarcity. They are forced to walk a long way to get water, only to draw from polluted streams whose waters made their families sick with disease. In response to their suffering, the Greater Works Community was able to dig a well in this village this June! Because of your faithful support, love, and contri-butions, you gave these neighbors a new hope for their future! Our contact now sends gratitude on behalf of his village: The people are very grateful! We can draw water easily at any time– and the water is pure because it comes directly from a water source that is very clean!

Our Clean Water India Project 2 is in Ramana Gutta, Andhra Pradesh. This project was complete in November and one of our Directors, Charity Dixon, traveled to Ramana Gutta last December to celebrate with the villagers! Be sure to check out our India pictures below!