We’re less than a week away from that special day every year where we pause and celebrate our moms. Hopefully, we’re remembering to do this constantly through the year as well, but it’s always nice to reflect, and say thank you. This year we wanted to honor all the mothers out there, starting with a few of our own. Here’s what Sussanne, W2T’s Executive Director, had to say about her mom:

“I credit my mother for believing in me and giving me the self confidence that I can accomplish anything I set out to achieve. We grew up in small town, Kentucky. My mother was a college graduate, had five children, ran a couple of little businesses and also assisted my father in running a farm with a 100 head of cattle and several crops.

“I remember her many words of wisdom including, ‘can’t never did anything’, and I believe my mother is responsible for my positive outlook on life and ability to see good all around me. I’m sure my mother made sacrifices I’m unaware of, like mothers do all over the world. It has been 8 years since she passed away. What I miss most is being able to pick up the phone and share our day, talk about current events, share stories and laugh. There is truly nothing that can replace the love of a mother.”

Jazzy, W2T’s Outreach and Communications Coordinator, had a similar sentiment to share when asked about her mom:

“Strong, creative, compassionate, inspiring, beautiful. These are just a few words that describe the woman who I am blessed to call my mother. In my short 23 years of life, she has been there for me through thick and thin – from moving across the country in 5th grade to going to prom, from the death of my brother and her son to graduating college Summa Cum Laude. She has been there. And not only has she witnessed all of this, but she’s walked with me through it. And the most incredible part? Some of my deepest valleys have also been hers, yet she still supports and loves me. Her strength is unfathomable. No matter the circumstances, she has given me a life filled with the love of Jesus. And honestly… What more could you ask for from a mother?”

Often times it isn’t until we’re older that we realize the many, and sometimes subtle ways, our mothers have guided, supported, loved, and directed us through life. Motherhood is universal, and this Mother’s Day, we want to help celebrate mothers with our community in Ethiopia. In the rural communities where we work, women are the backbone of their societies. They carry the burden of collecting water, cooking, cleaning, and watching after the children every single day. Without these strong women, these communities would fall apart.

You may remember from our World Water Day Blog that just $70 provides water to a family in rural east Africa for at least 20 years. Starting today, through Mother’s Day (this Sunday, May 14th) consider making a contribution towards Water to Thrive in honor, or in memory of, your own mom, grandmother, or mother figure in your life. Every dollar is going directly to people across the globe to better their families, communities and quality of life. Your donations will help provide clean water to these villages, the implications of which reach far beyond what we can imagine. With the time saved from not having to gather water, these women will have more time for income-generating hobbies, be able to cook healthier meals with cleaner water, have more energy to look after the children, and make time for much needed rest.

As an added blessing for this campaign, one of our Water Angels has agreed to anonymously MATCH all donations for our Mother’s Day campaign up to $5,000 – so your donations will make twice the impact. To donate, please visit our campaign page on our website, and to all the moms out there from all of us at Water to Thrive, thank you for all you do. Happy Mother’s Day!