Ariane Kirtley arrived in the United States on Saturday to begin an Amman Imman fundraising tour that will take place over the next six weeks.

This week, she will visit several schools in
the Washington DC area, both Montessori and independent, where she will speak to students about life in the Azawak for the 500,000 people who live there without viable sources of water. She will describe how the people in this region survive by adapting their lives to the seasons, collecting marsh water during the rainy season and traveling long distances in search of water during the nine month dry season. No matter what the water source, whether it is water from the marsh, a hand-dug shallow well, or a deep cemented well, it is most often dark as hot chocolate and contaminated. Yet, because there are so few permanent water sources, the people have no choice but to drink this dirty water. By the time she leaves, the students here in America who witness her stories and see her pictures will surely be more appreciative when they turn on the tap and get the benefit of cool, clean water.

On Monday, Ariane will speak to both middle and high school students at the National Cathedral School. On Wednesday, Ariane visits Aidan Montessori School in Washington, D.C.

In addition to raising their awareness about the struggles of the people of the Azawak,she will also share with them Amman Imman's success in building a permanent water source for the people of Tangarwashane who are now supplied with crystal clear water. No longer do the people in Tangarwashane have to scoop water out of the marsh during the rainy season. No longer do they have to travel long distances during the dry season to reach the deeper shallow wells, often to only find that they are either dry from over exploitation or had never been dug deep enough to reach water.

Now the people of Tangarwashane can turn on a faucet.

At the end of the month on October 26, Oneness-Family School, in collaboration with other area Montessori schools, will feature Ariane and Amman Imman at a special evening event that will celebrate African culture and raise awareness of the specific challenge of water scarcity that plagues our world today. Stay tuned for details!

Many thanks to Faye Ferguson, chief financial officer at National Cathedral School and Kathy Minardi, head of Aidan Montessori for taking part in organizing Ariane's school visits this week.

A tri-fold brochure and two fliers, containing information about Amman Imman's work in the Azawak from the time Ariane discovered the dreadful conditions in the region up until the completion of the Tangarwachane borehole this past July, has been produced. These documents will be useful in sharing information about the project and its history with teachers, parents and students.

The following Adobe pdf files are available as an easy download right here on this blog through Scribd.com, a website dedicated to providing online documents to the public:

• Amman Imman Profile
  

Description: Amman Imman:Water is Life. Profile of development program Amman Imman, describing work to build borehole wells in the Azawak of West Africa. Depicts the problem of water scarcity in the region, worldwide student collaboration supporting Amman Imman, and the recent success of a borehole well bringing clean and clear water to one village. (This is a 2-page document that should be printed 2-sided in portrait orientation.)

• Amman Imman Photo Flyer
  

Description: Amman Imman:Water is Life. A pictorial history of research conducted by Ariane Kirtley (2005-2006)in the Azawak of Niger, West Africa, and subsequent work and research of development program Amman Imman (2006-2007), started by Ms. Kirtley to alleviate the water problems in this region. (This is a 2-page document that should be printed 2-sided in portrait orientation.)

• Amman Imman Photo Flyer as a Tri-Fold Brochure

Description: Same as the Photo Flyer except this one is a tri-fold brochure. (Folding Hint for the Tri-Fold Brochure: If it is folded properly, both the front and back covers will have the contact information and websites displayed. This is a 2-page document that should be printed 2-sided in landscape orientation.)

The results of the Razoo Speed Granting competition sponsored by Facebook.com show Amman Imman making a strong finish in 3rd place! Although Amman Imman did not top the other organizations to win the $1000 grant, we did manage to surge ahead and maintain a strong lead for an easy third place due to up-to-the-minute midnight efforts of students from Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Yale University and East Catholic High School, as well as the many individuals who sent links to their friends before the midnight hour and over the previous two weeks.

I sat with three three high school students, Matthew Grossman and Max Gelfond from Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and Lia Clearfield from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School as they furiously typed emails to friends on Facebook, copying and pasting text at a feverish pace and asking those who were currently online to VOTE NOW.

As a result of the efforts of these students, Amman Imman votes began to soar way ahead of the 4th place entry. Top recruiters included Matthew Grossman with 11 recruits, Audrey Scott from East Catholic High School with 6 recruits, Kristine Berzins from Yale with 4 recruits. (I am sure there were other recruiters but those were the only ones the application allows me to see).

From the Razoo Speed Granting Application on Facebook.com

What does this prove? That a small committed group of disparate individuals who don't even know each other can pull together for a cause of common interest and actually make change happen. In this case, the change was in numbers, but we can extend this toward the potential for change in places like the Azawak of Niger when people of different backgrounds, timetables and interests come together and focus their energies. We can make a difference!

The fact that Amman Imman placed well ahead of recognized initiatives from long-standing and established organizations proves what can happen when we put out a Call to Action. In less than two weeks, the Amman Imman community coalesced, enabling the Amman Imman proposal to surge ahead of other deserving groups. Once the call went out, the response was tangible.

Although we did not win first place, we managed to create a buzz and a name for ourselves among these other worthy causes, casting a larger light around the cause of bringing water to the Azawak.

The last-minute fever manifested by students mirrors the recognized urgency of the need for the people in the Azawak to gain access to water. The hearts of people inspired to "virtually" combine their energies mimics the spirit of the project that moved Ariane to begin it in the first place. She could not turn away from the need she encountered and the call of the people. We thank all our friends and supporters who responded to this call and voted.

Razoo.com provides other opportunities to tap into the resources of the internet and generate further exposure for Amman Imman.

The Razoo motto is "Come Together. Change Your World". From the Razoo website: “Razoo is a community united around making a positive difference in the world. Where passion leads to action, and a whole lot of collective good comes from individual contributions.”

To increase Amman Imman’s visibility, I have created a group on Razoo.com called Amman Imman : Water is Life. I invite you to join this group and use it to tell others about the crisis in the Azawak and Amman Imman's mission to bring water and hope. To join this group and then recruite others, please go to this link on Razoo.com : http://beta.razoo.com/groups/amman_imman_water_is_life.

A borehole in Tangarwachane now provides access to clear, clean water for the people there. Many more boreholes are needed in the Azawak. Let's inspire a worldwide call to action and spread awareness of the plight of the people in the Azawak. Let's make change happen.

A Walk For Water banner was carried in the parade.

Montessori students in New Zealand celebrated Maria Montessori's birthday on August 31 and the centenary anniversary of Montessori education by parading down the streets of Wellington, New Zealand in A Walk For Water. Vicki Rowe, whose son attends one of the schools, shares a report:

The parade was just fantastic. We had about 700 people and arranged for some wonderful African drummers to lead us. This was a great tie in for those schools raising money.

The schools that participated in raising money for the Amman Imman project were:

Tawa Montessori Preschool
Wa Ora Montessori School
Mana Montessori Preschool (had a disco instead of the walk)
South Wellington Montessori School

There will be an article in our New Zealand Montessori Newz and we are hoping that other schools take it on board and do some of their own fundraising.

Anja Geelan, director of Tawa Montessori PreSchool, read about the Amman Imman project in the International Montessori Council's online newsletter. She brought it to a meeting as the schools were organizing the centenary parade. When she presented the idea to the children they wanted to help:

I am amazed how our 3 and 4 year olds haven taken to it, how concerned they are. And they feel very special about the idea they can help and make a positive contribution. It’s having a big impact.

After the parade, Anja sent this report:

It was awesome! A beautiful sunny day. For me, and many others, it was a powerfull experience. Walking behind African drummers, holding this banner “Walk for Water”, walking with hundreds of children downtown, what an experience! Money for Azawak at our preschool is still coming in, way beyond expectations. One child raised as much as I had quietly hoped to raise in total at our preschool!

The whole project has been fantastic, and for us, as preschool, it won’t stop there. The children are so in to it. Today, our new rainwater tank was empty, for the first time. No water coming out of the tap. We talked about how the children in Azawak experience this day after day.

It was a fitting tribute to Maria Montessori!

** This update covers two important topics, for which your help is requested:

1) My upcoming fundraising trip to the states, for which I ask your help to make it the most worthwhile and successful possible.

2) Your online vote so that Amman Imman may win $1000, and at the same time gain notoriety within the world of non profit organizations. **

Dear Friends of the Azawak,

Before I begin with my two major themes for this email, I want to share good news: today we received a call from the department of hydraulics in Abalak informing us that the borehole in Tangarwashane is functioning properly, and that everyone is in good health, grateful, and well hydrated! We also spoke with our local connection, Moustapha, who has recently returned from the Azawak and confirmed this good news.

Ok, now for the pressing topics:

1) Fundraising in the USA:

I will be in the USA as of early October until November 8th, traveling around the USA raising money for Amman Imman. I am presently working on a travel itinerary with speaking engagements that will best expose Amman Imman to potential donors, meanwhile raising awareness about the the Azawak.

Debbie Kahn, a major leader of Montessori/Amman Imman partnership, spent 10 days with me in France last month reviewing over 13 hours of video footage, and helping to select photos from the five months of our work in Niger for the Azawak. We have a great deal of new and enlightening material to show, not only of the living conditions in the Azawak during the dry season when water is most scarce, but also of our work constructing the Tangarwashane borehole.

I am eager to share these images and information to as many media outlets, institutions, foundations, schools, churches, and individuals as possible! Please help!

Now that you have been able to witness our success at Tangarwashane, you may want to contribute directly. You can also greatly help us by connecting Amman Imman with possible future donors, and helping to set up meetings and presentations that could significantly facilitate Amman Imman's fundraising and awareness raising efforts.

The Amman Imman team worked exceptionally hard to bring water to the region of Tangarwashane. People in the region now have enough crystal clean water to drink, bathe with, and give to their animals. We will ensure success through follow up visits and continued training of the management committee and community.

The team is eager to help save more lives by building additional water sources. Please help in whatever way you can make my fundraising trip to the USA successful so that we may soon have enough money to return to the Azawak with hope and water!

2) Help Amman Imman win $1000 by casting your vote!

Between now and Sept. 14, Amman Imman has been entered to win a grant of $1,000 through a Speed Granting Contest. The grant will be awarded to the proposal that gets the most votes on Facebook during this time period.

The theme for the two week period that began on Sept.1 is Change your Water World, offered to organizations providing solutions to make a difference in the lives of people and communities who do not have access to clean, safe water.

Amman Imman is only 36 votes behind 2nd place, and could easily win first place if we all vote! Your votes must be cast before September 14 th. Let's not hold back… this voting process takes very little time and will cost you nothing!

Please sign up with Facebook ASAP and recruit at least 4 more Facebook friends to vote for Amman Imman's proposal with the intention of casting a larger light around the cause of bringing water to the Azawak. The grant is small, yet sizable, and winning would put Amman Imman into a recognizable position that could attract more attention in the non profit world. It will also bring us just that much closer to building our second permanent water source, thereby saving more lives.

PLEASE take a few minutes of your precious time to recruit your friends on Facebook and/or send emails! Direct people to this link, and ask them to vote: http://apps.facebook.com/speedgranting/proposal.php?pid=148

I apologize for making the focus of this email a financial one! We dream that Amman Imman will flourish in water bearing activity, and this depends greatly on the money that we are able to raise.

I send you all my gratitude.
Peace,
Ariane

As we began our new school year this past week, it was a great joy to greet returning students, usher in new students, and give warm welcomes to parents. My favorite part of the day is welcoming the children, moms and dads at the front gate, sharing a smile and a "Good Morning" with each person. Especially on the first day of school, you have the sense that most everyone feels rejuvenated after a summer away, ready to dive into the new school year with a renewed inspiration to connect with themselves, each other, the earth and the world.

(photo on right by Denis Gontero. Notice the mosque in background, constructed by local people once they had water.)


Luckily for the people in the Tangarwachane village in the Azawak of Niger, water is flowing and the facilities to retrieve the water are well-constructed and operational. I imagine for these people the sense of renewal comes every day when they turn on the faucet, remembering their previous 35 mile trek for water, and being thankful for the ease with which they can now drink clean fresh water.

This year, we want to kick off the Amman Imman fundraising initiative by schools and students with a fresh perspective. After all, an incredible milestone has been achieved by Ariane and the small group of dedicated individuals that made up Amman Imman's field team from March through July. The borehole at Tangarwachane is not only operational but it is also beautiful.

I spoke with Denis Gontero who supervised the final construction in the Azawak during June and July. He explained to me that the faucets used by people were intentionally set a certain distance from the animal troughs where goats, camels and donkeys drink, in order to encourage and preserve sanitation and health. This is a big change even from January 2007 when the borehole first began providing water after the initial construction. Since that time Amman Imman organized and executed improvements on the borehole and the facilities that included constructing a bigger cistern (water tower) that would meet the needs of 25,000 people and their animals, two well-constructed and sustainable faucet systems and the placement of four long troughs that hold water for animals. Also, the team initiated the Water Resource Management Committee, made up of local people (including women), who will maintain proper function, sanitation and hygiene, in conjunction with the Ministry of Hydraulics.

One of the four animal troughs, positioned away from where people get their water. photo by Denis Gontero

The completion of this final stage of construction was none too soon, for as you might have read in two June updates (Hope Found at Borehole Tangarwachane and Urgent Need: People traveling up to 12o miles for water), when Denis return to the Azawak in June to implement the improvements, thousands upon thousands of people and their animals were standing in line to get fresh water after traveling extremely long distances to reach this new water source. Now, that the refinements have been made, the borehole can accommodate large numbers of people and their animals who will certainly be depending on this borehole until more are constructed.

We have more good news: Ariane Kirtley will be traveling to the United States during the month of October to make presentations for Amman Imman, with the intention of raising funds for continued work in the region. With this backdrop of success from the first stage of the pilot project, we hope to attract attention as well as get substantial donations to continue the work.

Here's how you can help: Our goal for the month of October while Ariane is in the United States is to set her up with speaking engagements and individual contacts with schools, organizations and people who could help. The keyword is ACTION. Let's bring Amman Imman to a new level. We are looking for ready-audiences and beneficial contacts that could generate financial contributions, attract media attention, and provide hands-on help.

Also, if your school would like to organize an event that would garner the support of more schools and students for the project, please send me a message.

I feel personally rejuvenated by the accomplishments of the past year, from the partnership of students and Amman Imman's work. With Ariane's visit we have an opportunity to invigorate our momentum. We begin this year's campaign on a firm platform of success, and a confidence in bringing renewal to our students, the people of the Azawak, and anyone who hears about this project.

Amman Imman has an opportunity to win a grant of $1000 through a Speed Granting Contest offered by Facebook.com, a social networking website open to students and individuals. Speed Granting works by allowing organizations to submit grant proposals based on a particular theme. Facebook members promote the proposals to their friends for two weeks. At the end of the two week period, the proposal with the most votes will earn $1,000 toward their cause.

As of 6 pm, September 6, we had 20 votes...the #1 proposal
(a much larger organization) had over 150 votes.
We have 8 more days to spread the word, recruit supporters
and make Amman Imman a front runner... we can do it!

For the two week period from September 1 through September 14, the Razoo Speed Granting theme is Change your Water World. $1000 will be offered to organizations providing solutions to make a difference in the lives of people and communities who do not have access to clean, safe water. We are talking about the 1.1 billion people out there in the world who live daily without water to drink. There are several large organizations working to change the circumstances for people in many places in Asia, Africa and the Americas, but only one small, grassroots organization, comprised of several dedicated individuals, along with school children around the world, is working to bring water to the Azawak region of Niger, West Africa.

Erica George, a Brandeis alum on the Harvard University staff, cast her vote for Amman Imman and submitted this comment:

I'm specially attached to this particular project because it's being organized by a worldwide group of Montessori school students. I was a Montessori student for my elementary school years, and it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. One of my favorite parts of my Montessori education was being encouraged to exert my power in the world, and never told something was too big a dream.

I'm excited to see an ambitious project being undertaken by Montessori students now, so I'm hoping I can help support the project to win the votes it needs for this micro-grant. The current top vote-getters are larger organizations, and it's my feeling that micro-grants should go to smaller projects. Please vote Amman Imman!

Some of the other organizations entered into this contest are much larger than Amman Imman and seem to have votes pouring in. Please help the votes flow our way! I know that if we work together we can make this happen:

If you are not currently a member of Facebook, you can join up at www.facebook.com. If you are a member of Facebook, click here to go to the Razoo Speed Granting Contest link and vote for Amman Imman. Please, don't stop there! After you vote, ask your friends to lend their support by voting. Certainly, $1000 will not cover the costs of drilling a deep borehole well in the Azawak, but it will contribute to our cause and also make more and more people aware of the circumstances in this abandoned region.

Remember, we have until midnight on September 14 to get as many votes as possible, so let's work together and make something happen!