Last year I turned 25 and wanted to do something memorable to celebrate 25 years of living. I had heard about Charity: Water from people that I look up to and I decided to start my own campaign because I could no longer live with the fact that every 8th person in our world doesn’t have access to a human right as basic as WATER.

Watch the video on the right to learn more about the SIGNIFICANCE and IMPACT of water in our world (voice-over by Gossip Girl, XOXO haha). Water affects education, health, poverty, and the overall well-being of men, women and children. Its availability can even deter a cause I'm equally passionate about: the slave trade/human trafficking.

Having grown up in a privileged environment, it isn’t something that I’ve ever given a second thought to. I have never had to worry about where my next glass of drinking or showering water was going to come from. Or whether it was going to make me sick. And I don’t think that anybody else should have to. So this year I'm giving up my 26th birthday and asking those that I love to make a donation for clean water in lieu of giving me gifts.

Last year, friends and family gave me the MOST MEANINGFUL BIRTHDAY OF MY LIFE by donating $1,273 in my name and in the name of those who have no one to advocate for them. There are enough resources in this world for everybody in it; it’s just up to us to make sure everyone gets their fair share, and not just a fortunate few.

This year I am in 100% faith as I double my campaign goal (that's 127 people less in this world who will no longer have to worry about where to get clean water).

It is my hope and prayer that you would join me in contributing one dollar at a time to end the water crisis. Thank you very much. :)

*The money from my birthday campaign last year has been used to fund wells in the region of Tigray, Ethiopia. In six months, donors will receive an email containing photos and other details of their donation.