Teen organizes benefit shows to bring clean water to Ghana

Seattle teen Cameron Murray becomes a voice and feet on the ground for justice and poverty reduction in Ghana by engaging his community through local music events.

August 2009

By Kelli Day, World Vision U.S.

Seeds of justice

Cameron Murray, 18, of Seattle acted on his passion for justice for the people of Ghana and organzied a music benefit to raise money to build wells.
Photo ©2009 Monica Payseno

Cameron Murray was a restless boy with a heart for justice. He grew up in Seattle as the son of a pastor. At age 10, Cameron’s father took him on a mission trip to Guatemala.

“It was the first time I realized that I have more than I need, and others don’t have what they need,” says Cameron. “We did a shoe drop in Guatemala, and I saw that this kid didn’t have any shoes. It really bothered me. I have lots of shoes. Tons. This kid didn’t have any. These kids didn’t have what they needed.”

The seeds of justice were sewn in a young life. But they grew alongside weeds of disquiet in this strong-willed boy’s heart.

Troubled times

In fourth grade, a false accusation and note sent home from school ignited his troubles, along with new knowledge that life on the playground was not fair, and playground monitors were not always the voice of recess justice. This made young Cameron into something of a playground bully, who grew into an angry young man. Some weeks he came home with 10 infractions from the dean’s office.

By junior high, Cameron was sent to an alternative school for kids with behavioral problems. The staff at this school helped change his entire perspective.

“These teachers, they took my bad behavior and threw it back in my face and challenged me, really challenged me,” says Murray. “And it changed my life.”

‘Equal in God’s eyes’

During those turbulent years, Cameron’s father took him on a mission trip to a remote village in northern Ghana. Along with the paramount chief of the Mo tribe, Cameron’s group visited many communities that were without clean water. Many wells had dried up or fallen in. Village women and girls walked many miles every day to bring water to their families.

“I remember thinking that you and I and the chief and every person in those villages were equal in God’s eyes, but we have water and they don’t,“ says Cameron. “And I was devastated to know that I would get on a plane and leave, and not be able to do anything about it.”

Six months later Cameron did do something about it.

‘Yes, you can’

One night, at his church youth group, he was thinking about the water situation in Africa and wondering whether he could do something. Cameron sensed God saying to him, “Yes, you can.” After that, the ideas began flowing.

“It was like God was using a USB cord, downloading these ideas into my brain, and it happened so quickly,” he explains. “In about 30 minutes I had a plan.”

Once home, Cameron remembers waking his parents and pacing back and forth in their room, a flow of ideas and energy.

Cameron’s father recalls “He was a pacing bundle of inspiration. We just said, ‘go, man, go.’”

Music that combats poverty

Cameron’s plan was to produce benefit concerts featuring local up-and-coming bands. Money raised through ticket, t-shirt, and snack sales would go toward repairing and drilling wells in Ghana. He recruited a team of similar-minded youth to help carry out the mission.

Less than a month later, Cameron’s youth-led, youth-supported initiative kicked off with the first benefit show. Six bands performed that night, to a crowd of 200 youth, raising $1,100 for the cause. Five shows later, Cameron’s group has raised more than $8,000. This month, he will travel to Africa to oversee the drilling of one new well, and the repair of four wells in remote villages, bringing clean water to thousands.

Cameron now travels to events, setting up his booth and speaking to community and youth groups. His message is a call to action: Get involved. Not only through fundraising, but also by speaking out against injustice, wherever it’s found. Like-minded teens have joined him and are the bones of a growing, grassroots movement.

Advocate with your gifts and passion

Advocacy comes in many forms. While Cameron's response was organizing a fundraising event, others are called to raise awareness within their communities, and still others are called to speak in the halls of Congress. The best way to be an advocate is to passionately lift up whatever issue God puts on your heart by whatever means He gives you to use.

In the life of a young man with angry beginnings, a heart of justice was formed. And that heart beats for the broken places of the world.

Learn more

• Visit our advocacy homepage to learn about issues of poverty and injustice and how you can advocate with World Vision.
• Download our advocacy handbook to you help hone your advocacy skills.

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• Pray that God would reveal to you the ways you can be an advocate for justice, like Cameron.
• Sign up to be an advocate with us.
• Do you know an advocate? Please tell us about them. By sharing our stories, we can inspire others to take action with us!