This year has been a big year for Ripple and XRP. Additionally, it has been a big year for the recipients of Ripple's philanthropic efforts. Ripple has donated over $100 million this year to help teachers and their classrooms, universities with blockchain research, orphans and other children in financial need in Africa, with a recent announcement of the formation of Ripple for Good, a way for Ripple to do more good for more people in more places across the globe. What do these good efforts look like?
DonorsChoose.org
Ripple started their efforts this year with a massive $29 million donation to DonorsChoose.org. This donation fulfilled every request that teachers had listed on the website, allowing 30,000 teachers to receive the "books, school supplies, technology, field trips, and other resources vital for learning" which impacted almost 1,000,000 students. Is it any wonder when the donation was announced it was called "The Best School Day"?
The University Blockchain Research Initiative
Next, In June of this year, Ripple announced they were going to begin working with top universities providing "a collaboration...to support and accelerate academic research, technical development and innovation in blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital payments." Ripple "committed over $50 million in funding, subject matter expertise and technical resources to [University Blockchain Research Initiative's] first wave of [17 prestigious] university partners..." These universities span the globe and are focusing on a variety of disciplines through education and research.
Raising Malawi
"Nearly one million children in Malawi have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDs, leaving them orphaned or without anyone to care for them." At the end of July Ripple announced that they were partnering with Raising Malawi to "provide critical healthcare services and educational opportunities for children across" southeast Africa. The donation came in the form of a dollar-for-dollar match. The donations provide "opportunities for children to learn, grow and transform their futures." This donation encouraged others to join in with Ripple bringing increased awareness to Raising Malawi as well as to the plight children face in developing nations.
Ripple for Good
After making the above philanthropic announcements, Ripple decided to bring everything under a single "giving" umbrella: Ripple for Good. The mission is:
Ripple for Good supports mission-driven organizations and initiatives with the potential to dramatically accelerate and expand global financial inclusion.
Ripple for Good is committed to advancing socially responsible and equitable uses of blockchain, cryptocurrency and related technologies.
The focus for Ripple for Good is on innovative technology with the ultimate goal of bringing financial inclusion to the unbanked of the world and to promote research and education in STEM, fintech, and financial literacy.
It will be exciting to see how Ripple uses this platform to reach across the globe providing help to those who need it most. One thing is for sure, Ripple has been very generous with its assets and this generosity has helped to bring positive media coverage to the company during a year when many have been critical of Ripple and its mission.
Now it's Our Turn
I recently began working with an organization called Filter of Hope. Filter of Hope has created a revolutionary water filter, designed for individuals and families living in abject poverty ($2 or less per day).
Across the globe, approximately 1 in 7 people live without access to safe, clean drinking water. Over 1.5 million people die every year from illnesses and diseases acquired by drinking contaminated water. The vast majority of these deaths are of children: a child dies every 20-30 seconds from drinking contaminated water according to the Centers for Disease Control.
For many people, the picture below is the reality they face every day when considering their drinking water source...I have seen places just like this in my travels to serve others. Water sources in developing countries are used for livestock, washing clothes, taking baths, cooking, and drinking. Of course, animal waste, human, waste, chemicals, viruses, bacteria, and a multitude of diseases thrive in the water being consumed. The choice they have is to drink the water, get sick, and potentially die, or die of dehydration. It's not much of a choice.
Filter of Hope has its filters in over 60 countries. These filters require no electricity and no batteries requiring only gravity to work. Each filter can filter approximately 150 gallons of water every day...for over 10 years. The "technology" inside the filter is the same tech used in kidney dialysis machines, filtering out everything in the water down to .1 micron. The water that comes out of the filter exceeds U.S. filtered water standards according to tests conducted in an EPA lab. I demonstrate the filter every week (twice yesterday, alone) and mix dirt and cow manure in dirty river water before drinking the filtered water myself. I have used the filter "in the field" while serving Haitians in the Dominican Republic and can vouch for the fact it works.
Here is a video that shows what we do at Filter of Hope.
Please let me be honest: We need your help.
My goal is to raise enough money to provide 100 families clean water. Each filter is only $40. At current prices (~$.47 USD), that would be about 85 XRP. Are you able to give 85 XRP to provide clean drinking water to a family for 10 or more years? Would you be willing to help me reach this goal? I believe this is achievable for our great community! Based on our averages, 8 people use a single filter. Knowing this, $5, or 11 XRP, will provide clean, safe drinking water for one person for over 10 years through your donation. Of course, any amount will help!
Maybe you would like to donate 100 filters and provide clean drinking water to 100 families. You can do that with 8500 XRP. You want to reach help 1000 families: only 85,000 XRP. Or, maybe you would like to help Filter of Hope reach our goal of providing 10,000 families safe, clean drinking water this year? You can do that for 850,000 XRP. Whatever you can do is greatly appreciated!
Can We Do This?
So, can we do this? Can we use XRP for good? Already, some in our community have donated water filters to families in need. Wietse Wind (@WietseWind Twitter handle) is one of those XRP Community members. His donation provided clean drinking water for a family in Cuba.
https://twitter.com/WietseWind/status/1047044747938947072
Will you join Wietse and others by providing clean drinking water to families in need? You, too, can do some good that will ripple across the globe. Thank you in advance for giving hope to these families!
**All tips/donations I receive in response to this blog will be used for filter donations. You may donate directly to my Tip Bot account using the Wallet Address and Destination Tag located here.
If you have any questions about donating please send me a DM or private message and I will get back with you as quickly as I can. Thank you again, in advance, for providing HOPE of a better future to so many families!
