My birthday is around the corner. I don’t usually ask for presents, but this year I’ve decided to make an exception. I’m asking all my friends and family to donate to charity: water and give clean water to people who need it, instead of giving me gifts.

Researching this I discovered that one of the problems with dirty water is leeches. Big ones they can filter out but the little ones get through and attach themselves in the soft tissue at the back of the throat. Do you know how the parents of the kids who have these get rid of them? Either by trying to scrape them off with a sharp stick or (and this is the one that struck me) by making them drink a small amount of diesel fuel!!! Enough to kill the leech and hopefully not enough to permanently damage the child! Every day, 5,000 kids die from water-related illnesses before they reach their fifth birthday. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are simple solutions like drilled wells, spring protections and BioSand filters that help provide clean water to communities around the world.

100% of every dollar you donate to my birthday campaign will be used to build clean water projects in developing countries. charity: water funds their operating costs separately through a group of private donors, so 100% of all public donations will go directly to people in need.

Help me make this birthday my best ever -- donate to my campaign!