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Uganda and Great Lakes Row Benefit at Brother’s Lounge
Come join us for a late afternoon full of music raffles and more! Just $10 at the door! FLYER Sunday, May 20th at Brother’s Lounge (11609 Detroit Rd, Cleveland, OH @117th) -MARK YOUR CALENDAR 4pm-8pm MEET Beth O’Kain the rower and SAY FAREWELL to Erin Huber before she leaves for Uganda to dig for new … Continued
Barefoot Wine Beach Cleanup and After Party at The Harp
Come join us for one of our favorite beach cleanups of 2012! Saturday May 5th 10-12:00 Beach Cleanup 12:30-3pm Volunteer After Party at The Harp Presented by: Drink Local. Drink Tap. & Friends of Edgewater State Park In partnership with Alliance for the Great Lakes Join in the fun for our second annual … Continued
First Beach Cleanup of 2012- Saturday April 7th 10am-12pm
We are excited to have you back this year and hope you will be bringing your friends and family to join in the fun! Our first beach cleanup of 2012 will be at our adopted beach: Edgewater Beach State Park, Cleveland Ohio Saturday, April 7th, 10am-12pm Remember! Wear close toes shoes, come with an adult, … Continued
Film Update-Waking Up to Water (Part 2)
Hello DLDT supporters! We were trying to push for the 36th Cleveland International Film Festival final deadline with our film, but have decided to use the piece we are (almost) finished producing to raise the rest of the funds and the people power we need to make the story whole. The current piece will be … Continued
DINE, DRUM, DANCE & DONATE
Saturday, February 25, 2012 6:00pm until 10:00pm Loren Naji Studio Gallery, 2138 West 25th Street, Cleveland, Ohio An evening of art and entertainment to benefit families without safe drinking water. The event will include an exhibition of photography by Laura Watilo Blake, plus interactive live entertainment, food, drink and an African handicrafts market.Gallery Show and Entertainment night for … Continued
The Diseased Staple of Africa
Meet the Jerrycan. Imagine saving up your shillings (maybe $2USD) to purchase a dirty, used plastic container to carry the water for your family. For the orphans at St. Bonaventure school in Mullajji Village, this is the water for themselves to bath in, brush their teeth, wash their hands, cook, clean, and complete other water … Continued
$30,000 in 30 days
It’s the season of giving! It’s the time of year where we hope to open our hearts and share what we can to make this world a better place. We are working on two major projects right now at Drink Local. Drink Tap. (501c3) and YOU can be a part of the wavemaking with us! Currently, we funding our: … Continued
Father Gerald and HIS golden soul.
Father Gerald doesn’t sleep- because he’s got a BIG job to do and a big heart. He cares for the vulnerable; a trait that reminds me of my own father. His love is so special. If I had to give him a job title, it would be “Regional Social-worker Aids Rescue-research-education-stigma distinguishing, Assistant parish priest (Mulajji Village, … Continued
THANK YOU Letter from NCGC October 2011
Subject: Thank you for speaking at the neighborhood centers From: “Lee DeAngelis” Date: Wed, Oct 12, 2011 12:49 pm Erin, On behalf of the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association and the five neighborhood centers where you spoke, thank you for your excellent presentation at the centers about DrinkLocalDrinkTap’s work to bring freshwater to the St. … Continued
Freddie is one of many.
See this photo and more at: flikr.com/photos/dldt Photo by|Erin Huber Photo Reflection Blog by| Erin Huber, Director of Drink Local. Drink Tap. Freddie IS the reason we need to share LOVE. I met this handsome young man on my last day in Mulajji and he made me smile and cry all at once. Mama … Continued
Last Beach Cleanup for 2011! November 5th 10a-12p
Location: Edgewater Beach State Park Cleveland, Ohio Body of Water: Lake Erie Time: 10am-12pm Date: Saturday-November 5th,2011 RSVP email if possible to DLDT Beach Cleanup Manager, Babs: Babsearth@gmail.com LIKE us on Facebook and Twitter (@DrinkLocalTap) to stay up to date on DLDT and changes to events! We clean rain or shine!
Staying Awake: Awakening the Dreamer Event | October 25th, 2011
STAYING AWAKE: Awakening the Dreamer Event: October 25th (see details below) Staying Awake… is a monthly networking gathering originating within the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream program of the Pachamama Alliance. The Staying Awake… programs are open to all with no fee or prerequisites. The purpose of Staying Awake… is to build a network … Continued
Irene and SHARING.
Nakamatte Irene is tough and has a heart of gold, like most African women I have come to know. See this photo and more at: flikr.com/photos/dldt Photo by|Laura Watilo Blake Photo Reflection Blog by| Erin Huber, Director of Drink Local. Drink Tap. Irene has done whatever it takes in her 30 some-odd years on this … Continued
Gonzaga. My brother.
If there were a contest for the greatest smile, attitude and laugh on the planet- I would bet all the cows, elephants, money, and matoke in the world that my brother Gonzaga would win. Tom, Laura and I have laughed so many times about recording and downloading Gonzaga’s laugh as our phone ringer. Just sitting at … Continued
Father Joseph (the youngest priest)
Photo by Elbee Studio| Laura Blake Reflection by Erin Huber| Director Drink Local Drink Tap FATHER JOSEPH reminds me of an intelligent child. He has every quality of someone you … Continued
Patricia.
Patricia. As I look back at some writing I did in my personal journal pre- Africa, I found myself writing about being in love with these children and people of Africa before we ever met. I wondered if it was, in fact possible, to love someone you have never met? Well, it is. Patricia is … Continued
Joseph: The kid in the yellow shirt
PHOTO Reflections (Photo above by Laura Watilo Blake @elbeestudio) Joseph Ssekyanzi didn’t have a name until a few weeks ago after I tracked it down via emails for weeks across the globe to the small village of Mulajji, Uganda. This place is as rural as it gets, and Joseph’s hut is deep in the … Continued
Back from Africa WAVEMAKER presentation Gathering
We are back from Africa and boy do we have stories! Join us for an evening of fun and adventure! There will be raffles, fun, pictures, stories, and surprises! Battery Park Wine Bar Friday, Sept. 9, 2011 5:30-7:30 pm. See what people are saying about this event!
Awakenings in Africa
Awakening in Africa Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dldt I will not forget the beautiful people we met through our journeys, the simple moments that made us smile, or the endless supply of matoke we consumed from daybreak to dinnertime. Most importantly, I will never forget the feeling of what it’s like to live in survival mode in Africa or … Continued
Bottled Water Facts and Links
August 2011 Bottled Water Facts from our friends at Hydros Presented by Online Education
September 10th Beach Party Cleanup and Boat Float!
Join us for food, fun and floating! FREE event and all are welcome! Contact Babette Oestreicher with questions at babsearth@gmail.com Thank you to our food and fun sponsor:
September 9th, Back from Africa Movie Trailer, Photo-sharing night and more!
(View more photos on Flickr) Photo by: Laura Watilo-Blake at Elbee Studio Kibera Slum, Kenya- July 2011 Join us September 9th after returning home from 30 days in a place where people have never flushed a toilet, seen a lake, had a hot shower, or even know what a “tap” is. Access to safe … Continued
The journey home…
We were making cars from water bottles on our last day in Africa.
Parting Thoughts
Africa is crazy. So much work to be done. Borrowed the money from Affinity Consultants, Inc. for the engineer to bring his equiptment out during the trip. After being here for weeks, we’ve realized how hard it is to communicate and organize anything in Africa. We have a few options for bringing water to … Continued
Celebrations and Sadness
Celebrations and Sadness as Our Visit Comes to an End As much as we were happy about the festivities, it also meant that our departure was imminent. We were all reflecting on our time together. Even though it was only a short time that we’d been at the school, we had really learned a lot … Continued
Parting thoughts
Holy matooke- it’s a hot one! We call today “africa hot” or “equater hot”- the locals laugh. Everyday we wake to roosters, no alarm clock here-power is a luxury. In fact, right now, I am watching the water crew nap near an outlet waking to the sporadic noise of power coming back on only for seconds. If … Continued
Africa Photo Gallery
Laura (also known as Namanda) performs with the kids from St. Charles School (now called St. Bonaventure) during a big celebration on Friday, July 29. People from the community seemed to appreciate the effort. They would come up during the performance and drop to their knees and present and offering of candy or money to … Continued
Name changes but the mission stays the same
While we’ve been raising funds for safe drinking water at the St. Charles School in Mulajje, Uganda, they’ve been going through a growth spurt. The school, which once included primary through high school, split into two schools on July 15. The school for the upper grade levels kept the name St. Charles, while the primary … Continued
The First Drop
The rain has come! If there’s anything needed more than clean, safe drinking water, it’s a good downpour. The rainy season in Uganda usually starts in August, but the country has been going through a year-long drought that has ruined crops and driven prices up, causing people to conserve on even their most basic needs. … Continued