Hi, my name is Irene. I’m 18 years old and I’m a freshman in college. I will be turning 19 years old on March 1st. 

All of my birthdays have always been about stuff. Stuff I don’t want, stuff I definitely don’t need. And to be honest, I hardly even remember what I got last year.

So this year, I’m giving my birthday up. 

I’m turning 19 years old on March 1st, and instead of asking for gifts, my goal is to raise $100; enough to give water to five people or one family. It’s not going to me, though. All of it is going to build freshwater projects for people in developing countries.

Almost a billion people in the world are living without clean water — but how much are they really living? Millions contract deadly diseases from contaminated water. 30,000 people will die this week alone. The lucky ones won’t, but still have to walk hours each day to get dirty water for their families.

My birthday wish this year is not for more gifts I don’t need; it’s to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion people living without it. I want to make my birthday matter this year.

The best part: 100% of all donations go directly toward water projects. And about 18 months after this campaign ends, charity: water will show us where and how every dollar we raised ended up helping in the field. We’ll see GPS coordinates, photos and more details about the communities we’ve impacted.

Please join me, and give to the thirsty.

Go to this URL: http://www.mycharitywater.org/givetothethirsty

P.S. There are 37 days left as of today to donate, it ends at the end of March. Anything makes a difference. I thought about how if every single person in the world or in developed countries could donate $1, the water crisis would be eliminated. But I’m not doing this just because like “oh, I want to be a good person and do this.” No, it’s about bringing justice to our world, and I believe in doing everything in love.