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In the Fall of 2019 we are cycling 4 Peaks in 4 Days to help 4 Ethiopian Villages!
In 2002, part of our team took our first trip to Africa, where we saw the horrifying effects of unsafe water on societies, families, and individuals. That experience was a catalyst for a journey that has included cycling thousands of miles to try to help thousands of Africans get safe water, sanitation, and hygiene training.
Since 2014, Wheels4Water has imagined and executed new ways in which anyone can make a tangible difference in the fight against the global water crisis using only bicycles, a passionate community, storytelling, and heart for doing good. Following the incredible success of the 2014 – 2018 rides in which communities across the United States joined Wheels4Water fundraising efforts to raise over $750,000, the vision of 2019 will be set on new heights….literally.
In the Fall of 2019, the Wheels4Water team will cycle four of Colorado’s most challenging peaks in four days. We will ride over 20,000 feet of elevation from Aspen to Mount Evans, with a goal of raising $70,000 to transform the lives of four villages in the Bensa District of Ethiopia with safe water, sanitation and hygiene training for life! If we reach the $70,000 mark, Wheels4Water’s efforts since 2014 will have given safe water access to over 19,500 people in Ethiopia, Uganda and the DROC. But this can not happen, without your help!
About the Region – Bensa, Ethiopia
The Bensa District is located in the southern region of Ethiopia with a population of approximately 250,000 people. This region has some of the highest water scarcity and water-borne disease rates in the world.
Ethiopia is regularly listed as one of the poorest countries in the world. One third Ethiopians live in extreme poverty, on less than $1.90 per day. Health is also a significant challenge, with life expectancy 15 years lower than the western world. The water and sanitation situation is similarly dire, with approximately half of the rural population lacking access to safe water and two thirds lacking improved sanitation. A Lifewater survey of the region found that the average household uses less than half of the minimum water consumption needs estimated by the World Health Organization. In Bensa, Lifewater has found that women spend an average of 2-5 hours each day fetching water, which is often making them and their children sick.
The Region at a Glance
We can change the reality of a community in Bensa, Ethiopia. Despite great strides in economic and social development in recent decades, Ethiopia continues to struggle to provide safe water and sanitation to it’s most vulnerable citizens
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65%
Lack Access to Clean Water
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40%
Live Without Proper Sanitation Facilities
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70%
Of Schools Lack Access to Proper Water & Sanitation
Justin Ahrens
Rule29 Creative
As leader of Rule29 and father of four, Justin enjoys digging into a business problem and designing a strategic solution. But he gets a bigger charge out of seeing the positive impact that solution can make – for the client and for the world. As a creative, he believes that we are built to see the world differently than most. It’s one of our unique, innovative traits. We all say we want to be a part of changing the world, but how do you actually accomplish this? Justin hopes that, through initiatives like Wheels4Water, he will be able to make positive changes in key global issues while also transforming himself, his company, and help influence the design industry as a whole.
Sarah Ahrens
Rule29
Sarah is a CFO and the glue that holds the Rule29 financial framework together. Outside of R29, she is a busy mom to her & Justin’s 4 kids and an active member of her community. She is an online health coach and is constantly researching nutrition, fitness and wellness ideas that she can bring to her clients to help them become the best versions of themselves. When not balancing spreadsheets or finding new recipes or workout ideas, Sarah is likely to be found at one of her children’s athletic events. She is not hard to find because she is the one yelling (she calls it “cheering”) the loudest.
Brian MacDonald
Wonderkind Studios
How do we make choices that help to shift our perspective? As a visual story teller Brian uses his photography and film making at his company, Wonderkind Studios, to challenge people to look at ideas from a different view. He is in constant pursuit of that elusive moment that makes people slow down and consider a new possibility. He continually challenges himself to shift views, and honestly, quite often fails. But there have been small victories as he has been able to share the stories of incredible people struggling in unbelievable circumstances. It is for those people that he’s doing this ride. It’s his hope that we will not only raise money and awareness for clean water in communities of people in Africa, but that we shift our view to one that everyone can do something to make this world a better place.
Tony Narducci
O'Neil Printing
Tony has established himself as a leader in the print industry in Arizona over the course of a 35+ year career and as CEO of O’Neil Printing. Tony and the O’Neil team are not only loyal supporters of Wheels4Water and Lifewater International, but integral in the management and logistics of the rides. This year Tony is helping lead the Team AZ ride and will once again be a significant part of it’s leadership and success.