Collegiate Times

Yvonne Yee and Thandiwe Ogbonna are involved in raising money for the procurement of clean well water in Africa.

One in six people do not have access to safe drinking water. About 4,500 people die daily due to diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation. In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year walking for water. 

It is startling facts like these that interested Virginia Tech alumnus Thandiwe Ogbonna and Yvonne Yee, a senior business management entrepreneurship major, into starting an organization called Well Water. 

Well Water seeks to provide clean drinking water to developing countries and improve sanitation in these areas. Ogbonna and Yee formed the club for a class project.  

“I took a global ethics class in the spring where we discussed poverty throughout the world and unequal access to resources,” Ogbonna said. “Our assignment was to come up with a simple fundraising idea that could make a big difference.”

The money Well Water raises goes to a larger nonprofit organization called Charity Water.

“Charity Water is an organization that provides clean drinking water to many developing nations,” Ogbonna
said. 

“I decided to use them because 100 percent of the donations they receive go to the water projects alone, which I thought was really cool because people won’t have to worry about where their money is going.”

The funds needed for overhead and administration costs is derived from grants and other sources specified for that purpose.

“I really like Charity Water because all of our donations are matched by private donors known as ‘angel investors,’” Yee said.

Through fundraising efforts, Ogbonna and Yee have raised $350 for Charity Water.

In September, the duo organized two donation-based concerts featuring the bands Mey Mey Fresh and Dj Manndibles, raising $275. 

They have also chipped in money from their own pockets.

“I did a sort of giving-up-my-Christmas-for-donations thing and raised $75 for doing that,” Ogbonna said.

In addition to the concerts, Ogbonna and Yee are working on setting up an art auction and open-mic night. Various artists would donate items to be auctioned off, and all the proceeds would go directly to Well Water.

The club is small, composed of just two members, but Yee and Ogbonna are looking to expand, so it can continue at Tech for years to come.

“Tech is such a big school, and it’s really big on philanthropy, so there are a lot of people who are really interested in helping other people out, and I know that this is a place where a lot of money could be raised for this cause, so I definitely want it to continue,” Ogbonna said.

Well Water is looking for other students to get involved with the club.

“We are trying to find younger replacements who we can depend on to uphold the mission,” Yee said.

For Ogbonna, the club’s efforts hit close to home, as Charity Water reaches all developing nations with a focus on Africa. 

“My father is from Nigeria, so I have a personal connection, and I’ve gotten to the point where I need to help people and make a difference in the world,” she said.

And this isn’t an issue Ogbonna can ignore. 

“It’s not something I want to let go or say I don’t have time for,” she said. “This is of great importance to me so I want to make sure it gets done.”

It only takes $5,000 to provide a community with a well that allows access to free water for a lifetime.

“Imagine your life without clean water. It affects everything you do. Clean water is important for preventing a lot of diseases, so for me it’s like, ‘How would you feel if you didn’t have access to clean water?,’” Yee said.

A version of this article appeared in the Feb 10 issue of the Collegiate Times.