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When Jeff and Linda Church and their four children arrived in the Maasai Mara to see Free The Children’s work up close, they were enveloped in the welcoming kindness of an entire community. “It was sunset, and the women were singing, dancing. It was absolutely spiritual,” recalls Jeff. But beyond the great joy they felt, the family also witnessed the deep poverty that grips this part of the world. The experience transformed their lives.

It was a journey a lifetime, long in the making. Ever since the Church children were small they would drop spare coins into an aluminum box, and decide where to donate the money at the end of the year. But as Jacob, Rachel, Josh and Nina grew older, their parents wanted them to understand there is more to making a difference than just writing cheques.

They invited Craig Kielburger to their San Diego-area home to speak to their children— who were by then in middle school and high school — and their friends about the global water crisis, and about Free The Children’s work to alleviate the water needs in rural Kenya. Craig invited the Churches to go on a Me to We trip to Africa to witness the crisis – and some of the solutions – firsthand. On that trip, the Churches accompanied local girls on their daily rounds to collect water for their families, a task that was preventing them from attending school. It was four-kilometre, two-hour walk while carrying a huge jug of water. After returning home to North America, the Church family “adopted” an entire village in the Maasai Mara. And, two of their children have since returned with their high school friends to build a one-room classroom.

Inspired by his family’s Me to We experience, Jeff, a Harvard alumnus with more than twenty years of business experience, decided to found Nika Water Company with his familymembers. Nika – which means ‘to give’ in Zulu – is a social enterprise that produces eco-friendly water. Nika Water Company directs 100 percent of its net profits to alleviate water and sanitation needs in impoverished countries. Recently, the family was in Nicaragua turning on the water for 600 people!

“Growing up, I had two paper routes and worked as a janitor,” says Jeff. “No matter what I expose my children to, they have most of their needs taken care of. But what I can do for them is give them experiences that open their eyes to the world. They will have the opportunity, because of these experiences, to create awareness.”