Equitas Meets Basic Needs in Sudan
By Jeremy Hunt | View Comments
Steve Cook
“There are 27 million slaves in the world today.” For most people, this sad fact would be just another headline that gets passed over during morning coffee or ignored while flipping from CNN to ESPN. For Steve Cook, it was the catalyst he needed to take action. He started his own non-profit, Equitas, to start meeting the basic needs of the people of Sudan and Malawi. If your only awareness of Malawi comes from Madonna and her various adoptions, brace yourself. That’s about to change.
How and where did Equitas begin?
A couple years ago I was reading an email from Sojourners and I saw something in the sidebar that caught my attention: There are 27 million slaves in the world today. That stopped me cold in my tracks. I clicked on the link and read an article about human trafficking in the world, and how there are more slaves today than there were back when slavery was legal. I was then faced with a decision. I could either a) close the article, go about my normal everyday life, and pretend I didn’t know anything about this. Or I could b) choose to act on this knowledge and do something about it. I chose b) and have never been the same. Thus began my new life of human rights activism and a fight against global poverty and injustice.
In December 2007, we organized a rally in Uptown Charlotte called Charlotte Torch Rally, which was an event geared toward raising public awareness of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. We were able to raise some money for medicine and clean water for refugees in Darfur, as well as for a scholarship fund for Sudanese refugees that have resettled in Charlotte. And we’ve now expanded our efforts to include Malawi, Africa.
Child in Malawi
Walk us through the actual process of starting your own non-profit. Did you have any experience doing something like this before Equitas?
I’ve been a self-employed software developer for 12 years, but this was my first foray into the non-profit sector. So I knew nothing about the process. Fortunately, I have friends in my life that know a lot more about the non-profit organizations and they were able to provide tremendous assistance and encouragement. We established a board, registered the organization with the state and federal governments, and submitted an application for tax-exempt status with the IRS. We had our approval within six weeks.
What drew you to the people of Malawi?
The needs in Malawi are overwhelming, and that’s what drew me to the country. Malawi is the third poorest nation on earth, with the average person living on just $1 a day. In a country of nearly 13 million people, more than one million have tested positive for HIV. And there are more than 1 million orphans in the country. The HIV/AIDS pandemic in Malawi is very complex and stems from problems of poverty, malnutrition and lack of education.
Any stories that stand out from your trips to Malawi?
On my most recent trip, I visited a community of a little more than 1,000 people called Tamanimwendo. Equitas provided clean water for that entire community, and the drilling company had just hit water for a new well the previous day. When I arrived, several of the women and children were waiting, and came running up to the truck, singing and dancing – some hugged me and kissed my cheeks. It was an extremely powerful moment for me, as I experienced their joy for something as simple as clean water, expressed through song and dance.
Steve photographs children in Malawi
Of all the needs that Malawi is facing, why focus specifically on water?
Nine million people have to walk one mile or more just for water. And that water isn’t even always safe to drink. Diarrhea is one of the largest killers of children in Malawi, and it’s usually water-related. It’s unfathomable to me that people have to live without clean water. We take it for granted. I believe every person should have the same right to this, the most basic of all human necessities, as we have.
Once people are provided access to clean water, diseases such as cholera, dysentery and malaria vanish. When children no longer have to spend hours each day fetching water, they can attend school. When mothers no longer have to spend hours each day fetching water, they can stay home and take care of their families. Lack of clean water is at the root of so many other crises confronting the people of Malawi – so we’re building wells. We want to help in so many ways, but really can’t do anything until clean water is introduced. So that is the first step in rebuilding this country.
What’s your biggest need right now as a non-profit?
Money. We need about $45,000 to complete the projects we have planned for 2009.
What are the plans for the future?
We plan to partner with individual villages to establish a comprehensive community development strategy. We want to help communities not only survive, but thrive, by providing clean water, irrigation systems powered by solar panels, training in advanced agricultural methodologies, deforestation reversal, bicycles, secondary education, orphan care, widow care, job skills training and micro-finance. This will be a long-term partnership with each village, often spanning up to five years. Our desire is not to just give handouts, but come alongside these communities and work together with them to improve the lives of them and their future generations.
How can other people make an impact in this area of the world?
I think one of the biggest ways people can help is to raise awareness of those around them. There are still so many people that have no idea that there is such a huge need for water. Talk about this issue, and educate others. Host a fundraiser in your home or at your church, school or organization. You can get a lot more information at our website – www.equitas.cc.
I recently read an article that contained some self-reflective questions, and one of the questions was “What can you offer the world to help humanity that nobody else can offer?” I don’t think I have any extraordinary gifts or talents – I simply have a heart for the marginalized people in our world, and I’m passionate about doing whatever I can to help. I’ve found that helping others has truly brought enrichment to my life, more so than any other goal for myself I’ve worked to achieve. If you want to experience true contentment, you have to give something of yourself away for the benefit of others.
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WATER FOR CHRISTMAS
When you contribute a minimum donation of $50 toward Equitas’ Water for Christmas drive for Malawi, you’ll receive an aluminum Water for Christmas water bottle. If you would like to donate toward clean water, please click here and make sure you put “Water for Christmas” in the memo field to receive your water bottle.
