NO WATER, NO LIFE:

By: Dominique Huff

Water is everywhere. So, we think.

Yes, the earth is 97 percent water, but according to Melissa Ellis, Founder of Life Beyond Water, only three percent is available for use by humans and animals. However, two percent is frozen, leaving only one percent readily available.

“Humans are depleting this water source at a very rapid pace. So faster than the planet can replenish water,” she warned. “The problem is not the science of the place but our consumption. We must take steps in our daily lives to conserve water.”

While water issues may seem like a thirdworld country problem, it is happening here in the United States in places like Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi, two areas where Life Beyond Water has come with boots on the ground.

“Sadly, water is political and has a profit motive,” she said. “We have Jackson and Flint, have water issues, and these are two major cities in this country. To be blunt, some powers that be are focused on profit when it comes to water access.”

Water infrastructure is not sexy but essential for any city, town, or countrywide. Under former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, aka the ‘sewer mayor,’ Atlanta Watershed undertook a massive overhaul of the 2,000 miles of water lines that serve the city and surrounding communities. With federal litigation and worry about the stall of economic progress, Franklin knew that water was the foundation of all things in the region.

Ellis builds upon that by using Life Beyond Water to provide relief, aid, and support. For starters, she wants everyone to rethink water in all ways.

“The hard reality is that we have no new water. The water we are consuming is recycled,” she stated bluntly. “We must think about infrastructure, consumption, and encouraging people to go into the field of water as a career.”

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The Bahamas was hit with a tremendous hurricane in September. With your help we were able to partner with the Myles and Ruth Monroe Foundation to provide water filters to the distribution center in Freeport run by Bahamas Faith Ministries International. We spent the day packing, organizing and distributing packages of food and household items We distributed 100 water filters to families which provides them with 150 gallons of clean water a day for up to 10 years

The organization goes into schools to educate youth on how to become better stewards of water and open their eyes to future careers in the water business. In addition, life Beyond Water goes to cities that need the services with water for distribution and provides filtration systems.

“We work on distributing water to those in need, and for those who had access to bad water, they need to know what is in their water,” she said. “We have another partner that helps us with the filtration systems.”

Ellis is proud that Life Beyond Water focuses on the work not looking pretty and cute with large overhead and costs.

Our Mission

To provide relief through education, aid and support to areas that are plagued by the lack of clean water and sanitation while developing the next generation of water leaders to foster sustainability.

“We let our donors know we put their dollars to work and operate the office on a shoestring budget. I’m not even taking a salary at this time,” she said. “I’m focused on the work as that is what drives me. Yes, I do want to look at compensation, but even then, I still want to ensure the work still has the costs covered for us to serve.”

With the political and profit agendas surrounding water, Life Beyond Water wants to move past the noise and ensure that all people can access fresh and clean water for current needs and the future.

“We may not be able to solve environmental and systematic racism, but we are going to ensure that we have water for all people regardless of their community and lot in life,” she concluded.

Life Beyond Water Global Outreach is charitable organization whose focus is to provide support, relief, education and aide to areas that lack clean water.

For some, life begins and ends at the global issue of the lack of clean water and sanitation. We are here to change that.

Life Beyond Water believes that we can end the water crisis in our lifetime by ensuring that every person on the planet has access to life's most basic need...clean water.

Everyone deserves to live a LIFE BEYOND WATER. Join the movement!

by Pastor Chris Scott

On a recent trip to South Africa, 21 missionaries, some on their first mission, boarded Delta Airlines Flight 200 with the hope of changing lives And they did just that

The “gogo” community in Eloff, South Africa, which consists of grandmothers and elders, faces the challenge of meeting basic needs while also adhering to traditional customs The Eco Village at Eloff, which services 22 “gogos,” has benefited greatly from outreach commitments and initiatives set in place by Dr. Patricia Bailey and her international humanitarian ministry, Master’s Touch Ministry.

Working in partnership with Tabernacle of Praise Church International, pastored by Timothy J. and Shunnae McBride, and whose missions team is headed by Pastor Chris Scott, Master’s Touch provided relief for the most vulnerable in Eco Village, including the “gogos ”

The group's efforts included the construction of prefabricated homes arranged for communal living, which will provide sustainable and safe housing for the aging gogo community. A community and recreation center was also built in the middle of the homes, providing a place for fellowship and meaningful social interactions, as well as regular health screenings.

In addition, TOPCI has broken ground on a multipurpose community center in the city of Soweto, home of renowned South African leaders Nelson Mandela and Steven Biko. The center will serve the local squatter community, facilitating much-needed educational services, distribution of food, goods, and supplies, and provide a site for medical humanitarian relief. There are also plans for the establishment of a library.

The missionaries provided reading glasses to the gogos, many of whom have not received medical services in some time. This small but significant gesture opened the eyes of the Eco Village residents to the love that was emanating across the waters for them They celebrated the attention and honor lavished on them by the new missionaries, leaving the missionaries with a deep commitment to continue reaching beyond the walls of the church to touch the lives of those in need.

A stone's throw from Soweto is an area the missionaries visited called Kliptown. It is the oldest residential district of Soweto. With an unemployment rate above 70 percent, Kliptown is overwhelmingly impoverished.

The missionaries distributed clothing, hygiene products, shoes, and more to its residents. But, the hope springing forth in Kliptown are its children who sing, play, and recite prose as any other children do. Except, most children don't live without electricity, water, or working sewer systems Most children do not live in a city honored for the ANC Leader Charlotte Maxeke, and yet have become the forgotten ones.

The partnership between Master’s Touch Ministry and Tabernacle of Praise Church International has demonstrated the power of working together to make a lasting impact on vulnerable communities

A salute to the phenomenal women of Henry County, Whose hard work and dedication we can all see, From the courtrooms to the classrooms, They lead with grace and break through the glooms.

From California to Georgia, they come, With passion and purpose, one by one. Each a beacon of hope and light, A hero to hearts in need of might

Claressa Winston, with a heart for youth, Creates a center for arts and truth Vivian Thomas, a leader of the land, Listens and serves, lending a helping hand

Natosha Reid Rice, changing the world, Diversity, equity, her mission unfurled Dr Lya Snell, servant leader supreme, Guides and supports, making education a dream

LaTonya Kirksey-Roberts, faith-filled and kind, A business owner with an empowering mind Mary Rozier, a scholar with a heart of gold, Community service, her story told.

Lydia Pierre, a communitarian at heart, Supporting organizations, playing a vital part. LaTisha Flint, with a career in law, Helping offenders, she finds the good in all.

Kortni LaGrone, a hero for hurting hearts, A beacon of hope, her light never departs. Nichelle Holtz, a counselor with care, Helping those in need, their burdens to bear

Dr Elna Poulard, a woman of success, Helping others, she does her best Holly Veal, a trailblazer in her own right, A role model for women with all her might,

Danielle P Roberts, a judge of three levels, Her accomplishments are nothing short of revels, Andrea Boyd, the chief municipal judge, An advocate for justice and human nudge,

Chaundra Lewis, a state court judge, Her experience and knowledge never fudge, Phenomenal women, they are, Their stories inspire, reaching far.

These phenomenal women of Henry County, Have shattered ceilings and set a new bounty, We honor them for their work and sacrifice, For they truly are an inspiration, and that’s nice.

Claressa Winston, the founder of Club Xhell, Incorporated, is an amazing woman She discovered her passion for youth empowerment after receiving a Bachelor's degree in Human Services from California State University Dominguez Hills and her MBA in Nonprofit Leadership from New England College. She is also a lifelong learner and a proud graduate of the Clayton County Grassroots Leadership Institute Class of 2017, Woman University Class of 2019, and an active member of IM Academy.

However, what separates her from others is her vision, which she received at a very young age "Even as a little girl talking to my mother, I dreamed of having the Youth Life Center for the Arts My Mom asked me, she took me to piano lessons and she asked me 'Lessa' what do you want to do when you grow up?"

I told her "I would have a center and my kids could go and just be safe and have a fun place to be"

Using faith, smarts, guile, and an honest heart full of love for adolescent kids, her journey began. As the owner and founder of the Youth Life Center for the Arts, Ms Winston has always seen the "teen years" as a critically important time in a person's life that needs MORE adult supervision and interaction, not less. She draws heavily upon her own experiences to shape the program that impacts so many of the children her center now helps, encourages, and trains

Ms Winston uses her own experiences to shape the program that impacts so many children at her center, including her own childhood experiences as a latchkey kid

Her vision is to ensure that no child is left home alone during after-school hours, and she has leveraged her children's inheritance to make this dream a reality. The center started small, and it wasn't without a significant gamble from the founder into the future of her whole vision The center is still standing twelve years later, with hundreds of lives