PULLMAN, Wash. – Holiday gift-givers have an opportunity to make a difference for fellow humans on the other side of the globe by supporting Washington State University’s Ripple Effect project.
A partnership between WSU, a non-profit organization called Total Land Care and the people of Malawi was created to provide practical tools for improving the quality of life of families and communities in this southeastern African state. Each of the three partners invests time, money and/or expertise to implement projects that reforest treeless areas, support the growth of new food crops or bring potable water to a village. The cause and support opportunities can be viewed at http://rippleeffect.wsu.edu/.
Malawi faces numerous challenges: an average life expectancy of 38, hunger, deforestation, lack of potable water. It is the fourth poorest country in the world. When you contribute to Ripple Effect, you set in motion a partnership with demonstrable results.
“There is a hopefulness that surrounds the implementation of each of these projects,” said Kim Kidwell, associate dean of academic programs in WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences and a member of the Ripple Effect team. “Because all of the partners are truly invested, they work hard to ensure the projects they undertake are relevant and effective, and the impacts are transformational.”
Ripple Effect offers a variety of options for you to join the team. For example, donating a poultry kit provides 30 baby chicks, a raised coop, vaccinations and training to a Malawian about how to care for and market the animals. Cow, crop seed, deep well and latrine kits also are available. You may choose to help purchase a treadle pump used to irrigate crops during Malawi’s dry season, which expands food production. Each of these options provides Malawians with an opportunity to improve their quality of life, and it all starts with you.
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Victoria Marsh, Marketing, News, and Educational Communications, contributed to this story.