Clean water, food and how lucky we are to live in Canada

UPDATE: July 21. The Star's Olivia Ward wrote a story about aid agencies banding together to provide relief. Check it out and get more information about how to donate here.

I am preoccupied with what has been estimated as up to 11 million people affected by severe drought and food shortages in the Horn of Africa.

Not to get too preachy or encourage readers to support one specific charity over another, but today might be a good day to hug your family and perhaps think about whether you actually need that new pair of shoes or if the money could be used to provide badly needed aid.

The cynic in me also wants to caution people against donating to organizations they are unfamiliar with as the size of the crisis increases. This is not based on any complaints about fraud that I have been reading about or have been sent. More of a terrible hunch.

In case anyone is interested, the Canada Revenue Agency offers lists of registered charities.

GlobalMedic is also getting involved in organizing aid.

Grateful every time I turn on the taps today and clean water comes out.

Comments

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We have it really good here in Canada. I am not sure how long it will last considering we use more water on our lawns than some nations have to drink - just a silly waste.