Imagine a life without easy to drink water at your fingertips.
Imagine a life where you couldn’t come home to a loving family.
Imagine a life where when you are sick there is no doctor to go to.
Imagine a life where your house and all your belongings were washed away forever.
Imagine.
We are the lucky ones in this world that have to imagine for these tragedies to come true in our lives. But for many families across the world these situations aren’t just imaginable; they are reality. Too many people are stuck in their own perfect world to see what really horrible things happen to children and adults every day. Chagas Disease, Cholera, Denque, and Hook worm are just a few of the diseases people in poverty suffer from each day. So wake up from that dream you have of a perfect world. Face the reality that these tragedies are happening and help.

Chagas Disease-
Chagas disease occurs in Central and South America, mostly in poverty- stricken areas. Transmitted by infected triatomine bugs at night, parasites that cause Chagas disease can cause severe heart and intestinal damage. If untreated the infection may stay lifelong and may be passed from pregnant mothers to their unborn babies, making this a severely dangerous disease.

Cholera-
Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water and food. This is an extremely virulent disease that affects both adults and children. This is disease is unlike other diarrhoeal diseases because Cholera can kill adults within hours. People with compromised immune systems such as malnourished children and people with HIV are more vulnerable to death if infected with Cholera. Cholera can be controlled by the use of LifeStraws which are water purifiers that help a lot with fighting this disease.

Denque-
Denque is transmitted by day-biting mosquitoes; it causes fever and illness to more than 50 million people each year. This disease has grown rapidly throughout the few recent years. There is no known cure for this disease which leads many people to death. Although there is no cure many people have found good results using PermaNet which is a long lasting insecticidal curtain that has helped a lot to combat this disease.

Hookworm-
Hookworm is transmitted through contact with unclean water and affects more than 740 million people worldwide each year. Hookworm can lead to anemia and malnutrition. If infected during pregnancy then it can lead to low birth weight, impaired milk production and increased risk of death for both the mother and child.
How You Can Help

The important thing is not to just stare and marvel at these happenings, but it is to believe that they are true and get up and help. Help the children. Help the single moms. Help the sick who are dying. Many people have already started in the action so join the trend and getting going! There are many ways to help so as a way of convenience, listed below are some organizations that you can get involved with.
Idol Gives Back-
Idol Gives Back is a foundation that took advantage of a show all Americans know and watch. American Idol. They are a new non-profit organization established by the producers of American Idol. One of their goals is to raise grant money for charitable endeavors that touch and change the lives of children and their families in the US and abroad. Another goal they have is to focus on the provision of health, education and services for those in poverty and at risk. You can donate to Idol Gives Back by going tohttp://www.americanidol.com/idolgivesback or simply just search Idol Gives Back on the internet. On their website it shows you how you can donate either by phone, mail, or even right there online. Please help just $50 buys five nets or enough Malaria pills to save 100 kids from Malaria in Kenya. Even just $250 is enough for books for a year for three children in an after school reading program here in the U.S. So please donate today.



The Global Fund-
The Global Fund is the world’s leader in funding of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria which together kills over 6 million people per year. It was created in 2002 and has approved 450 grants to programs worth $7 billion in 136 countries. $2.3 billion has been committed to AIDS programs in Africa. As of December 2006, Global Fund-financed programs had put 770,000 people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment; distributed 18 million insecticide-treated bed nets to combat malaria; and detected and treated more than 2 million TB cases, which are rising sharply due to co-infection with HIV. All Global Fund-financed programs support 2 million orphans around the world. You can go to their website http://www.jointheglobalfund.org and find out many ways that you can help and donate.

Malaria No More-
Malaria No More’s mission is to simply end deaths due to malaria. The world has known a way to beat Malaria for more than a century and still it remains the number one killer of children under five in Africa, killing more than 1 million people a year. Malaria No More works to raise the awareness of the disease among the public; also to try to raise money to provide life-saving bed nets and other critical interventions to families in Africa.

These are just a few of the organizations out there that fight poverty and disease. We all make up this world, so why not make it a better place for each and every individual. You never really know how much you have until you see how little other people have. Every child deserves a nice warm house and a good education and hope for the future. Every parent deserves to be able to give their children a safe and happy childhood. Every human being deserves a chance to live safely, happily, and peacefully.
So, imagine a world with clean water for everyone to drink.
Imagine a world where everyone has a loving family to come home to.
Imagine a world where all the sick are treated by doctors and cured.
Imagine a world where every human being has a life to call their own and they are proud of it.
Don’t just imagine.
BELIEVE.