Minden’s Michele Coneybeare will keep putting one foot in front of the other on May 28 as Help a Village Effort (H.A.V.E) brings its annual Walk for Water back to Haliburton County.
Now in its 43rd year, the organization raises awareness of, and funding for, clean water in impoverished villages in India, Coneybeare said. Since 1982, H.A.V.E has built approximately 650 artesian wells in south Asia, averaging 15 to 25 per year.
The goal of the walk this year is to raise $5,000, which should support the drilling of two wells, ongoing maintenance, and educating locals on how the systems work.
According to Coneybeare, having access to clean potable water greatly reduces the risk of contracting water-borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, and acute diarrheal disease – all prevalent in India.
“H.A.V.E believes clean water is a universal right, not a privilege… our mission is to empower communities with the gift of clean water, one village and one well at a time,” Coneybeare said.
Beginning at Minden Hills United Church, participants will stroll along the Minden Riverwalk, completing a two-and-a-halfkilometre journey that symbolizes the trek that women and children make daily in India to get clean drinking water for their families.
While the charity is based in Haliburton County, it has official chapters throughout Ontario, Newfoundland, and British Columbia.
Coneybeare, board chair since 2020, said H.A.V.E has a great track record of helping people in need. In earlier years, the group funded a mobile health care program, support for needy children, and a primary reading program in the Gambia, West Africa.
She’s been a member since 2009.
“Our global world is very small and there are many places for our Canadian donation dollars. Access to clean water is more than a health necessity – it is a catalyst for change.
“By providing safe drinking water, H.A.V.E empowers communities to break the cycle of poverty, ensuring healthier families, increased school attendance, and improved livelihoods,” Coneybeare said.
To participate, contact a H.A.V.E board member (Coneybeare, Lisa Gervais, Paul Heffer, Nick Kulas, Darren Mills, Cathy Stevens, Debbie Wales) to get a pledge sheet. Money is to be turned in on the day of the walk, with tax receipts provided for amounts over $20.
For more information, visit helpavillageeffort.org.
