The Luckiest In The World

The other day I learned about a young man who chose to give a gift to Amman Imman for his birthday.  Leonardo turned 13 on March 30th.  He is the first born child of Rudy and Kenia, Americans of Cuban and Nicaraguan descent.  Coming from their own humble beginnings, Rudy and Kenia have always tried to instill values of family, honesty, integrity and generosity in Leonardo and his younger siblings, Katerina and Lucas.  Rudy explained to me that he and his wife want their children to become aware of the bigger picture of our world and society.  They want them to understand that they need to "give something back".

Looking around the internet for a charity to support as he turned 13, Leo found Amman Imman. The struggle of people in the Azawak for water caught his attention quickly. Leo already knew that water is essential for survival.  He could not imagine the challenges that a child in the Azawak must go through, forced to search for water everyday in order to survive.   Losing access to water for one day was beyond Leo's imagination.  In his mind it was unthinkable to be unable to turn on a tap for months or years. Leo felt a deep concern for the children in the Azawak, especially the younger ones.  He imagined his own brother and sister living in those circumstances, and thought it would be a horrible situation for them to face.

Leonardo is an honor student at his Maryland middle school.  He plays football for a local little league team. "Leo is well liked and respected by his peers.  He has a great sense of humor," says his dad. "He's an amazing kid and I'm confident that he'll become an amazing man.  I'm proud of him everyday.  I love Leo, Katerina and Lucas very much...I'm the luckiest father in the world."

With the love, encouragement, and respect imparted by Rudy and his wife for their children, I think Leo and his brother and sister are the luckiest kids in the world.

Today I received a check for $100,  

Leonardo's gift to bring water to the Azawak.   

Water at last....fetching water from the fountain
 at Amman Imman's new borehole in  Ebagueye, 2012