Dear clients and friends,

Thank you for choosing to work with us again this year! We have an exciting annual update on our clean water initiatives. None of this would be possible if we didn’t have you as our partners. As many of you know, GSA has participated for many years with the non-profit organization World Vision to help bring clean water and sanitation facilities to developing countries in Africa. As you may recall, the work in Rwanda is being completed this year and our efforts are moving on to Zambia. Last year we added a new wrinkle by not only bringing clean water to this central African nation but also helping to build a mother-child medical clinic. In Zambia, 60% of medical clinics do not even have running water! So, it seemed logical to build a clinic and bring safe water at the same time.

In addition, Ruthann (my wife) and I, along with a small team of other individuals were able to go see the work being done in Zambia last November. It was a humbling trip, which began by visiting with the poorest of the poor families, seeing dilapidated, unsanitary “health” clinics as well as sub-standard schools. We were then able to meet with families that have been with the World Vision programs for a few years and see new water pumps, clean and effective health clinics, new schools to educate children and economic savings and empowerment programs to teach people how to better support themselves. To see the change in people’s lives and the look of hope in their eyes is immeasurably fulfilling.

None of this progress could be done without your partnership with GSA. Thank you for choosing to work with us and for being a part of this good cause.

If you would like further information about the work or how to contribute directly, I am always excited to talk about it.

Mike Mason