Margie’s Vision
Margaret Braband, a long time Mt. Prospect, Illinois community leader, wife and mother, planned to do some traveling after retiring in June 2006. In particular, her travel dreams included Africa. To her family’s surprise…and some concern…she included climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in her trip!
During the 19,500' trek, Margie thought long and hard about the people and situations she had encountered
in Tanzania, Africa. Of prime concern was the lack of clean, accessible water.
Women and children spent sometimes 4 to 5 hours
a day walking to a water source and than carrying it home to their families and villages. The question of "what could one person...or even a few people...possibly do to help create a sustainable solution?" was Margie's prevailing thought on her long climb upward.
Her own sustained effort to just breathe, put one
foot in front of the other, and thereby make it up
the mountain became the inspiration for tackling a seemingly overwhelming problem. Her belief was that: "if she, 57 year old suburbanite Margaret Braband, could climb the tallest, free standing mountain on earth…ANYTHING could be accomplished”! All that was required was a willingness to take on the problem, commitment to the goal and then moving through the solution one step at a time.
in Tanzania, Africa. Of prime concern was the lack of clean, accessible water.
Women and children spent sometimes 4 to 5 hours
a day walking to a water source and than carrying it home to their families and villages. The question of "what could one person...or even a few people...possibly do to help create a sustainable solution?" was Margie's prevailing thought on her long climb upward.
Her own sustained effort to just breathe, put one
foot in front of the other, and thereby make it up
the mountain became the inspiration for tackling a seemingly overwhelming problem. Her belief was that: "if she, 57 year old suburbanite Margaret Braband, could climb the tallest, free standing mountain on earth…ANYTHING could be accomplished”! All that was required was a willingness to take on the problem, commitment to the goal and then moving through the solution one step at a time.
“It can be done!” she declared to herself!
Margie was joined by a small group of dedicated volunteers in the founding of this organization. Together, they work to fulfill the shared vision for clean water access... and happy, healthy lives for the Uru people.
I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
....Maya Angelou