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In 2010, I set out to climb Everest from the north side and to complete climbing the 7 Summits (climbing to the summit of the highest peak of every continent). During my training in the Himalaya, I discovered the water crisis and it changed me.

Photo of Cho Oyu- where the idea to form Global H2O was realized

It was then, in 2009, when I fell ill with dysentery on Cho Oyu, forcing me to turn back on my attempt to reach the 6th highest peak on the planet. During the time I was sick, I experienced what the people without clean water experience on a regular basis.

Upon return to my home in Munich, I dedicated my climb of Everest to the water crisis, and founded a 501c3 entity in the USA. I focused an entire year of my life on reaching the highest point on the planet and creating an all-volunteer organisation with the goal to provide clean drinking water to the people in Northern Uganda.

Photo from summit of Everest (May 23, 2010)

What was originally a personal goal became a quest to deliver clean drinking water to the thirsty millions in war-stricken Northern Uganda. Through this story, the charity, Global H2O was born. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMDa1OnZNj8)

I have completed the first draft of this story and am looking for sponsors of this project to cover the publishing/ editing cost of my first book. This project is close to being completed and through this reward structure, I know I can reach my goal. I am looking forward to mailing out the first copies!

Thanks for your support!

James Wilde

www.jamesdewittwilde.com 

Text from the book:

Just as I was thinking these thoughts, water erupted from the site in Lamwoyopodo. The water covered all the layers of rock and earth which now sat on the surface. The colors blended into a common tone as the water pumped out with greater intensity and volume. Amazed by the volume, I asked, “How deep are we?” Nick replied, “35 meters. I think we need to go to 40 and stop. The looks bigger than anything I have ever seen!”

(10,000 liters per hour of water)

I walked over to the rig which was still hard at work, reaching my hand into the cool jets erupting from the depths of the savanna. Filling my hands with the water, I bowed my head into the spray, cooling myself instantly and began to cry. I heard Nick screaming above the noise of the rig “Ten cube! Do you know what that means? We hit ten cube of water!” He was as emotional as I was, explaining that the driller’s yield (the estimated output of the borehole) was 10,000 liters per hour- enough for more than 5000 people.

Picture from the moment...

The children from the community who had gathered on the ant hill were now playing in the water, and the women and mothers were channeling the water to collect for the evening meals already.

I again thought of Coelho but this time it was Eleven Minutes, “When I had nothing to lose, I had everything. When I stopped being who I am, I found myself.” This summed it all up. I had given up my career as a controller to follow a dream. I had nothing left to lose and stripped myself completely of who I was to find myself in the mountains. I had found my calling and that core of me.

My soul was suddenly a bottomless well filled with the waters of the earth ready to quench the thirst of millions. I came from this earth, I loved it with all my heart, and I had hoped to share this love with others as one day I too will be consumed by the earth and my soul will be apart of the others, and my transformation will be complete.