This week I am offering my latest record, Land of the Living, through Blood:Water Mission one week prior to it’s official national release. When you make a donation of $10 or more, you can download the new record and all proceeds will go directly to Central African Republic to help fund HIV/AIDS care efforts in various communities.
Why am I doing this?
A year ago I launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund a new recording project. I went in not knowing if I was going to raise the money. To my surprise it went exceedingly well and I raised over 130% of the goal. It was humbling and inspiring. I went into the making of this record with a kind of vision and motivation that I had not had before. I believe I made my best record to date. I think it’s my best because I believe it’s the truest record I’ve made. This record was made with friends who cared deeply about it and it bleeds throughout the songs. I’m truly grateful. I decided to move my gratitude forward and that is what lead me to do this campaign with Blood:Water Mission.
Why Blood:Water Mission?
I have been a supporter of Blood:Water since it began. I believe in the simplicity of the vision and mission. On our side of the equation, BWM is bringing knowledge and perspective to us here where we live. For example, I learned years ago that $1 can provide clean water for 1 person for 1 year in Africa. I realized I had jars full of “life-money” just sitting around my house–perspective. Blood:Water helps provide a means for folks like you and me to gain perspective and give our own resources so that other people across the world can simply live. On the African side of the equation, that money goes to various efforts all around Africa to help empower communities to do the work they are eager to do with resources they so desperately need. Blood:Water is about partnering with the people of Africa, not doing a heroic work of their own. They have succeeded in helping provide sustainable clean water systems all throughout Africa. It’s working and people are alive because of it. Learn more about how Blood:Water works here
Why Central African Republic?
When I met with BWM to discuss this campaign we wanted to make sure it was focused on a specific place with a specific need. They mentioned they had just started HIV/AIDS care efforts in Central African Republic, also known as “The Phantom Country”. It’s referred to as a phantom because it’s a country that is completely off the radar of the world. Even most Africans don’t know it exists. It’s an area hit pretty hard with the HIV/AIDS crisis and is getting no attention. I was immediately drawn to this story and felt it was the right focus for this campaign.
Years ago I went to Kenya and spent time in rural communities participating in HIV/AIDS awareness rallies. I learned a great deal first hand of the incredible need for education and medical care to address the AIDS crisis in Africa. Education is a primary and crucial factor in the fight against AIDS anywhere in the world. Think of America in the 80′s (if you were around then)…we had no clue. People were afraid of sitting on toilet seats or talking too close to people. The money from this campaign will go directly to help provide education and medical care to the people of CAR.
It’s a huge honor to be a part of the great work of Blood:Water Mission and I’m so grateful for all of you who have hopped on board. Please continue to spread the word this next week through Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. My goal is to raise $10,000. Crazy, right? Well, my father used to tell me, “shoot for the stars and you’ll end up somewhere in the heavens”.
You can go here to donate and download: www.bloodwatermission.com/mpj
Thanks for reading!
mpj