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Roots: Blood Water Mission
The 1000 Wells Project at Davis traces its roots to the formation of
Blood:Water Mission,
“a non-profit organization founded by the members of the...band, Jars of Clay, to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa.”
The Blood:Water Mission website states that:
Blood:Water Mission exists to promote clean blood and clean water efforts in Africa, tangibly reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic while addressing the underlying issues of poverty, injustice and oppression. Blood:Water Mission is building clean water wells, supporting medical facilities, and focusing on community and worldview transformation, both here in America and in Africa.
The 1000 Wells Project is the flagship program for Blood:Water Missions clean water initiative.
 The Davis 1000 Wells Project
Nearly six years ago, UC Davis student Tyson Babayco stumbled across the Blood:Water Mission website and read about the dire need for clean water in Africa. Compelled to do something, he gathered a group of his friends who also became interested in the cause of tangibly reducing poverty in Africa. And thus, the 1000 Wells Project at Davis was born.
Each year since the group’s inception in 2005, the goals and ambitions of the Davis 1000 Wells Project have grown. The first year of fundraising for clean water wells in Africa was run by a committed group of volunteers and raised over $3,700. By the end of the 2006 campaign, the 1000 Wells Project at Davis had gained recognition on not only the UC Davis campus, but in the surrounding community. With the help of local businesses, churches, and many campus organizations, the group raised approximately $7,400. In our most recent campaign in 2009, we were supported by a base of over 40 volunteers who helped mobilize over 1000 students, faculty members, and local residents to participate by attending our events and donating funds. Because of such dedication, we raised $13,252, leading to a total of over $50,000 since we began our mission six years ago.
The 2010 Campaign
This year's theme of learning to "love:well" reflects a returning to the fundamentals of our
mission statement
and the original motivation behind planting The 1000 Wells Project here at Davis. Although the
amount of funds we raise has increased significantly each year, we have decided not to set an exact monetary goal
for the 2010 campaign. Instead, we hope to refocus on the sheer need of public awareness regarding the
reality of poverty and its effects on sanitation. As crucial as our fundraising component is to alleviating
the suffering of HIV/AIDS victims across the world, we believe that a true departure from the cycle of injustice
can only be achieved when we move past simple giving and learn to fully and genuinely love these people well.
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