Can you imagine having to make the daily choice between using contaminated water or going without? That's the brutal reality faced by untold millions of people every day.

According to some information I recently read, of the approximately three million people die every year due to waterborne diseases, 90% are children under the age of five. This is to say nothing of all the others who endure horrible sickness caused by unclean water, who don't die.

The above information is from an organization called "A Child's Right" (ACR) that I mentioned briefly on this thread several weeks ago. ACR installs water purification systems around the world where they will benefit poor children. John Y., a long-time friend of Dobe's and someone my grandma calls her "fifth son" is a volunteer with ACR, and recently returned from an ACR trip to China, where they installed water purification devices in orphanages.

There is a great slide show of the China Project on the ACR Website. To access the slideshow, after you click on the link, click on the "News" picture on the lower left, and then click on the "China 2007" link on the upper right.

In the slide show, I recognized the heart-shredding mix of happiness and despair that is the hallmark of orphans all over the planet. You can see it all in their eyes and their smiles. And that hopeless look that says, "Why am I here?" I may be reading too much in, but I think I know that look.

I am deeply impressed by John Y and ACR. It's clearly an organization that is worthy of support.