بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

                In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

The Right to Water

The Muslim Student Association at UC Davis is holding its second annual 5K for charity. Last year, we started this 5k in order to fundraise for Syrian Refugees in the midst of a massive refugee crisis. For our second year, we are tackling clean water access both domestically and internationally.

This year, in an environment of rising tensions within class, race and ethnicity, we hope to bring together people of all backgrounds to remember our humanity and help those who truly need it. Muslim, non-Muslim, student, community members, people from abroad, we are providing an opportunity for interfaith collaboration and rejecting notions of Islamophobia, xenophobia, and racism.

Why Should YOU donate?

The concept of clean water access is somewhat foreign to the common American. Of course clean water can come from your fridge, filter or tap. Sadly this reality isn’t universal. The World Health Organization and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) reported in 2015 that 1 in 10 people lack access to safe water. Twice the population of the United States lives without access to safe water.

Safe water isn’t just about having water to drink, but it also aids in the prevention of disease, promotion of education, and fosters an environment for economic development. The lack of access can be deadly, dangerous and a major inhibitor for development in these areas.

Now, one may think that these issues are just in developing nations and could not possibly happen in a nation such as the United States, but it’s actually happening right in your backyard in Flint, Michigan. The Flint community has suffered an unjust crisis in which their source of clean water is contaminated with a range of bacteria rendering it not just poor quality but undrinkable. This was caused due to the negligence that corrupted the quality of the Flint River. Flint was declared to be in a state of emergency as of January 2016. The crisis is far from over and residents still rely on clean water sources such as bottled water.

By donating, not only are you going to make a difference in an individual's life, but you reaffirm your commitment to the never-ending battle for the human right of safe water.

Who We Are Working With

The Muslim Student Association at UC Davis is working hand-in-hand with Penny Appeal USA, proceeds from this Run/Walk will go towards building wells in 11 underdeveloped countries abroad, not only to deliver clean water to those in need, but to also foster sustainability and economic growth in the region.

(India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Somalia, Gambia, Niger, Ethiopia, and Sudan.)

In addition, we have also partnered up with Convoy of Hope, an organization dedicated to providing clean drinking water to the communities of Flint, Michigan in helping them overcome the disastrous water crisis they are currently facing.

Be Part of Reaching our Goals

With this second 5k, we are striving to achieve the following:

• Working with and inviting students from a variety of organizations; secular, faith-based, academic, ethnic and cultural, etc. to participate in a unifying effort

• Provide a safe space for collaborative efforts on the UC Davis campus that increase awareness of humanitarian issues and bring together students from various backgrounds

• Establishing a greater presence of the Muslim Student Association on campus in order to combat notions of Islamophobia, xenophobia and racism and disseminate truth about Islam and Muslims.

• Donate funds for this year’s 5K Walk/Run to an organizations working on clean water access.

• Continue to make this a successful event in which it continuously improves and establish itself as a UC Davis tradition.

How to Support this Cause?

1. Attend Our Event! Get your tickets at https://5kforwater.eventbrite.com

2. Donate here on LaunchGood! Any amount will help!

3. Share this event in anyway you can! Social media, friends, family or anyone

4. Keep us in your prayers, so that we are able to have the necessary funds to create an event that will help those in need of clean water access.

For more information, visit our website at: 

http://msaatucd.wixsite.com/5kforcharity

Thank you for your time and support. May God bless us all with piety & good!

Sincerely,

UC Davis MSA  2016-2017