How Did Matt Damon Become a Water Expert?

When you think of the water crisis, you might think of Kenya or the over drawing of water from super wells in provinces of India, but would you think of the movie star Matt Damon? Yet, the truth is he is one of the world’s experts on water and sanitation issues. 

“You cannot solve poverty without solving water and sanitation.” – Matt Damon

SO HOW DID THE GOOD WILL HUNTING STAR BECOME A WATER ADVOCATE?

Well, he credits his passion to be rooted in his travels to Mexico and Guatemala when little with his family. This exposed him to the real needs of the world in those areas. Have you heard of the documentary, Running the Sahara? We hadn’t either, yet it was while producing this documentary film of three men running the entire Sahara desert, that he had the idea to start a charitable initiative. The H2O Africa Foundation was founded, and partnered with organizations that were already fighting the water crisis. They even partnered with our favorite, Living Water International, to construct wells in the Central African Republic. 

And then came something permanent! In 2009 his initiative merged with WaterPartners to found water.org. I guess when you are a celebrity, you can snap up the domain name water. 

HOW WATER.ORG IS DIFFERENT

Water.org takes a really creative approach in fighting the water crisis. Where Living Water International digs well and provides sanitation projects, Water.org provides micro loans. They believe to this to be a more sustainable way of attacking the water crisis on a larger scale. They provide small loans that are easily repayable to help individuals finance their household water and sanitation needs.

Why do we love Living Water International?

Knowing his heart to help people, and his huge contribution to this cause, it is hard not to love Matt Damon. We are super proud of him, and his care for the least of these. 

We chose Living Water because it is faith based, and makes real connections. They have water drilling trips that create water advocates of those who go to help. Such water trips create deep gratitude for what we with clean water and sanitation are blessed with! It also teaches us to love others, and be more aware of the needs of people in other countries. It also makes it personal, when you get to play with the little children who won’t be getting diarrhea now that they finally have clean drinking water. 

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• the least of these, a reference to Matthew 23:40
• Read why a lighting company is writing a blogpost about the water crisis 
• visit Water.org!

Thanks for reading! 

Here is a picture of Matt Damon in our favorite role of his 

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