On a brilliantly sunny Thursday in May, employees in the Atlanta office of Doctor.com headed outside to grill burgers, play games, relax with coworkers—and string beads to help bring clean water to the Masai people in Kenya.

This year, we had the opportunity to incorporate volunteering and philanthropy into our annual Spring Fling festival, thanks to local nonprofit Just One Africa. Dedicated to bringing change to Kenya, Just One Africa’s mission is to care for orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya by providing access to clean water and by partnering with local leaders to provide sustainable solutions which create hope through care, education, and community development.

Cofounder Amy Churchill gave us a little backstory and history of the organization, while Dorcas, one of the Kenyan partners of Just One Africa, was present to give us a first-hand account of life in Africa and the importance of fresh, clean water. More than 40% of Kenya doesn’t have access to clean water, and over 13,000 children die each year from diarrhea caused by poor sanitation.

Turning beads into water

To help raise funds, the Masai women of Kenya make beautiful, shiny beads from recycled magazines. Those beads are then brought to America, where volunteer groups gather and help string the beads into bracelets. The bracelets, in turn, are then sold in person and online.

For every bracelet that’s sold, it enables 200,000 gallons of clean water to be provided to the Masai people. That’s because every dollar raised from the bracelets helps purchase simple, effective water filters. It’s also a very cool fact to mention when someone comments on your bracelet.

Access to clean, safe water is a catalyst for change and the first step to elevating communities from a cycle of sickness and poverty to one of health and hope.

Doctor.com is proud to have spent the day learning about this incredible nonprofit.  As we strive to improve access to healthcare in America, we understand the importance of helping out where we can to improve healthcare globally as well.