Two of our #Earthmovers, Alexi Panos and Tennille Amor, the big thinkers behind E.P.I.C., recently traveled to Tanzania to bring clean drinking water to a village in need and we caught up with them to hear what they had to say about the trip, Tanzania, and what’s next for E.P.I.C.

Tell us about E.P.I.C. and how many wells you’ve built to date? 

E.P.I.C. (Everyday People Initiating Change) is a 501c3 non-profit organization, dedicated to drilling clean water wells in Tanzania, Africa, while providing sustainable solutions to community growth and development.  E.P.I.C. also provides Everyday People around the world with the opportunity of Initiating Change in developing countries, by running life-altering trips through our Fellowship Program.  So far, we have drilled 9 clean water wells, and are in the process of preparing to drill our 10th.

How did you discover that everyday people like yourselves could really make a tangible difference? 

When we met, we were both pursuing careers in the entertainment industry.  We realized that we had a shared desire to make a positive impact in the world, but both felt like that would happen when we had “enough” success/money/time/a big enough platform, etc. After seeing something on TV about a regular woman who was able to raise a lot of money for a cause on her own, we realized that we had enough resources to start doing something right away, as opposed to waiting for the “perfect” time.  All it took was a desire to make a difference, and the will to make it happen, despite the obstacles we faced along the way. 

What was the goal on the trip to Tanzania this year?

Thankfully, we accomplished even more than what we set out to do this year!  We were able to see the completion of our 9th well, and we got to witness the drillers hitting water for the first time with the villagers.  It was such an incredible thing to be present for, because the joy in the village was overwhelmingly beautiful!  We celebrated with them, and decided to install an electric pump instead of a hand pump, for the first time, because it will be more useful for the school and surrounding areas in the long run.  We found another school that we will be working closely with over the next few months, to make improvements on the building and overall learning environment.  We scouted another village where we would like to drill early next year, and visited the majority of our other villages to make sure that the wells are still properly functioning, and discuss things that we can potentially assist them in the future.  We visited an orphanage as well while we were out there, and deeply connected with a lot of the children.  Overall, it was an extremely successful trip!

What did you learn this time around that surprised you? 

In the orphanage, we met a 9 year old girl named Upendo, which means “love” in Swahili. They told us that she was suffering from a rare form of skin Cancer, but she had huge growths all over her face, and was completely bandaged on one side of it to cover the wounds.  She was bleeding underneath the bandage, and was in an extremely serious condition.  We were told the doctors said that there is no hope for her, and she is being given morphine to help her through the pain before her impending death.  Despite her dire situation, she was filled with so much faith, and she sang songs to us about God’s unwavering love.  That was really surprising to see, and it moved us all to the point of tears.  She loves singing apparently, so her caretakers asked us if we would sing to her as well.  We sang a few pop songs, and she was bouncing the stuffed animal that we brought for her to the beat of the music.  It was really powerful to see, and definitely one of our most unexpected moments.  It is representative of the hearts of the majority of the people in Tanzania though.  Despite their circumstances, they remain filled with faith and constantly shower us with love while we are there.  It is a truly beautiful thing to experience.  

If you could share some wisdom about what life is like for locals in Tanzania, what would that be? 

The Tanzanian people are some of the most amazing people we have ever met.  They remind us to focus on the important things in life, like family, friendship, community, and unconditional love.  Although they don’t have much, in the way of material things, they have so much to give, because they are filled unbreakable spirits.  The women are extremely strong, and independent, and play such a crucial role in family life.  Collecting water for the family is the responsibility of the women and children, and they often have to walk for many hours each day to get enough water for all of their household needs.  In villages where they don’t have access to clean water, they are prone to multiple waterborne diseases, and health issues.  Children sometimes miss out on time in school, because they are busy collecting water from distant and unreliable sources.  A high importance is placed on education though, and the majority of the children have ambitions to grow up to be teachers, or doctors, or farmers.  

How can other ‘everyday people’ get involved? 

We recently started a Fellowship Program, which allows other Everyday People to come out on our trips to Tanzania, in order to live locally, and experience the work that we do out there.  Part of the experience is raising a Fellowship Fee before the trip, which contributes to the project that E.P.I.C. is focusing on for that trip (a water well, or some form of community growth and development).  It also covers all of the on the ground expenses, room and board, 3 meals a day, and the payment of staff to run the program.  By raising money before the trip, each of the Fellows feel a deeper sense of connection to the experience, since they (more often than not) enlisted the help of friends and family to raise the money with them.  We have three more trips this year (one starting on October 3rd, one starting on October 19th, and the last one starting on November 3rd).  If anyone would like to come out, they can find more information, and fill out an application at: www.epicfellowshipprogram.com.  We hope to run trips throughout the whole of 2016 as well.  For anyone who would like to donate specifically to the projects, they can do so directly at: www.epicthemovement.org.

What’s next for the organization? 

In Tanzania, we are hoping to drill in our new village sometime towards the end of the year, or early next year.  They are in the process of building a hospital in that village too, so if we could help with the development of that, it would be greatly beneficial to the entire community.  We also hope to expand on the Fellowship Program, by continuing to provide trips to anyone who would like to come out with us.  We are in talks of potentially working with an orphanage in Nepal next year as well.  Regardless of what happens, we will continue to go back to the villages where we have already drilled, so we can ensure the sustainability of each of our projects, and strengthen our relationships with each of the communities.  

Final question: what are your go to #CatBoots when you’re in the field?

Tennille: My go to boot in Tanzania was the “Colorado” boot for sure.
Alexi:  And mine was the “Alexi” boot!