"I'd had people say, 'You'll enjoy being famous for a week, and you'll never enjoy it again'. But I don't think I had that week. I may have been working and missed that moment." - Matt Damon
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Matt Damon (http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2008/database/mattdamon/mattdamon300.jpg ()) |
The
Makings of a True Hero
"A hero is a
man who does what he can." - Romain Rolland. Matt Damon certainly does
what he can, and for this reason, he truly makes a difference. Raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
Damon attended the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School,
where he took drama classes. "Damon was a hard-working student who
attended Rindge and Latin's most arty, and academically challenging, division,
The Pilot School." (Lang) He maintained an A average, and attended Harvard University after graduating. In the
spring of 2006, Matt Damon, along with Marc Joubert, Larry Tanz, and Keith
Quinn formed H2O Africa with the intention to raise awareness about clean water
initiatives in Africa. In July 2009, the H2O
Africa Foundation merged with Gary White's WaterPartners to form Water.org. To
help research the problems that prevent locals from accessing clean water in
underdeveloped countries, Damon traveled around the globe, quizzing villagers
in India, Zambia, and
elsewhere about their daily lives. Matt Damon sacrifices time from both his
personal and professional life to focus on his philanthropic work. He is
selfless, truly cares for the well being of others, and is extremely passionate
about his charitable work.
Damon demonstrates
selflessness when he sacrifices time and money to help bring clean water to
impoverished countries around the world. He believes that everybody be able to
make the same choices in their life. "Why is Water.org
so important to you? Every 15 seconds, a kid is dying because he or she
doesn't have access to clean water and sanitation. It's pretty staggering. In America,
you can just walk over to the faucet and get a drink of water. So it's hard to wrap your brain around the notion that
there are little girls who can't go to school because they're spending their
days gathering water. Dehydration is a
ridiculous way to die in this day and age." (Karger) Damon wanted
to make sure he was making the right decision when merging H2O Africa with
WaterPartners. He even took time to study the microfinance tool that
WaterPartners uses to make the best decisions for his company. Damon is also
incredibly modest, and respects anyone who just tries to make an honest living.
He values all human life, and does whatever he can to help people in need.
"Matt Damon takes
time out from filming in South Africa
to hear about the troubling situation in Zimbabwe. The actor made a trip to the border town of Musina, and Sister Tinotenda showed him one of the $10
billion notes issued after Zimbabwe's
economic collapse." (EBSCOhost)
Unlike most celebrities, Damon personally visits the people that he helps in
his philanthropic work. He puts his life on hold so that he may help those who
are less fortunate. He genuinely cares for the wellbeing of others, and truly
makes an effort to change the world. Nobody had ever asked Damon to change the
world, but he does it of his own accord. He truly cares for the good of
mankind, and tries to make the world a better place.
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Matt Damon as Santa (http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/damon-claus-feat.jpg ()) |
Matt Damon is exceedingly passionate for his charity, and does whatever he can
to make a difference. He truly cares about making a difference, even if it does
not directly affect him. "Mr. Damon's contributions to the organization go beyond serving as celebrity
spokesman, according to Fast Company. Before the merger, Mr. Damon studied Mr. White's creations, particularly WaterCredit, a
microfinance tool the charity used to organize local people to run a water
project and help them borrow money. The actor also researched the
problems that impede access to clean water in poor countries, including
quizzing local villagers in India,
Zambia,
and elsewhere about their daily lives." (Preston)
Damon wanted to make sure he was making the right decision when merging H2O Africa
with WaterPartners, and even took time to study the microfinance tool that
WaterPartners uses so that he knew he was making the right choice during the
merge. Damon is also incredibly humble, and traveled to India, Zambia, and other countries to ask
local villagers how they go about their daily lives. He strongly believes that
nobody, in this day and age, should die of dehydration or sanitary issues.
"Access to water will be one of the most critical challenges of our
time," actor Matt Damon says in a statement to USA TODAY. "There are a lot of
ways to tackle it, but for me, ensuring that every human being has access to
safe drinking water and the dignity of a toilet... is one of the most urgent
and pressing causes in the world today." Damon founded a water charity,
then linked up with one established by engineer Gary White to form Water.org
with a transformative goal. White says, "It's not just about drilling a
gazillion wells, it's about tapping into the inherent power of people at the
bottom. We have to help them find their own voice and leverage their power as
customers and citizens." (Grossman) Damon has a firm belief that all
humans should have access to clean drinking water, no matter where they live.
He forfeits much of his time and money to make sure that impoverished countries
in Africa have the necessities to thrive. Not
only is he a celebrity spokesman for his charity, but he directly contributes
to the cause. He is extremely passionate, and devotes much of his personal time
to it.
Matt Damon uses his fame to his advantage, and promotes his charity every
chance he gets, even at the expense of his own public image. Growing up in the US, Damon feels
as though he has been blessed with opportunities throughout his life, and helps
those falling on hard times. "Q: Let me play devil's advocate for a second, because I think a lot
of people have become very skeptical and jaded about celebrities promoting
causes, suspecting that it's tied into self-promotion or that it's a public
display of virtue. How do you counter that?
A: Well, to a certain extent you can't, because you're
at the mercy of whatever coverage you get, and I don't think there's any way to
convince people of what your motives are." (Johnson) He acknowledges
that although his true objectives may be doubted, what's important is that he
will be making a difference. He knows that nothing he does will prove his true
intentions, and that he will always have supporters and skeptics. Damon admits
this, and says that although there will always be skeptics, the benefits far
outweigh the disadvantages. He selflessly uses his fame and wealth to help
those around the world, even at his own expense.
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Damon visits Zimbabwe after an economic collapse.(http://www.annehelenpetersen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/matt-damon-africa-1.jpg ()) |
Despite his
wealth, Damon never forgets where he came from and remains extraordinarily
humble. His philanthropic actions are not merely a ploy for the public media,
but rather the actions of somebody who believes everyone should have the same
opportunities in life. Although he is one of the most famous actors in the
world, Damon doesn't let the fame get to his head. His contributions to
Water.org go far beyond serving as a celebrity spokesman, and he helps research
the problems hinder access to clean water in underdeveloped countries. Damon
holds a firm belief that there is no better way to get to know someone than
going inside their house and talking to them one on one. Damon comes from
humble origins in Cambridge, Massachusetts
and maintained an A average at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.
When he graduated, he went enrolled in Harvard University.
After 2 years, Damon left Harvard to pursue an acting career. By working hard
and getting a good education as a child, Damon's options were limitless, and he
decided to do what he was extremely passionate about. Soon, Damon became a
household name, and he decided to use this to his advantage. In 2006, he formed
H2O Africa to raise awareness initiatives in Africa.
In 2009, the H2O Africa Foundation merged with WaterPartners to form Water.org.
He does much of the research himself, and travels around the globe to quiz
local villagers on their daily lifestyle. Even though he makes millions of
dollars a year, Damon is always happy to give a helping hand to those in need.
He has no underlying agenda, and genuinely tries to better the world, even at
the expense of tarnishing his own image. Damon genuinely tries to make a
difference, and for this reason, he is a true hero.
Works Consulted
Grossman, Cathy Lynn. "Charities Give
Christmas Gift of Water." News,
Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology,
U.S. &
World - USATODAY.com. Gannet Company, 22 Dec. 2011. Web. 03 Jan. 2012.
.
"Humanitarian
Crisis? Send For Jason Bourne." Mx (2009):
3. Newspaper Source. Web. 14
Dec.2011.
Karger, Dave.
"Checking In With... Matt Damon." Entertainment Weekly 1129 (2010): 28. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 14 Dec.
2011.
"Matt
Damon's Mission
To Promote Clean Water." Chronicle
Of Philanthropy 23.16 (2011): 19. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Dec. 2011.
"Matt Damon
Talks To Brian D. Johnson About Celebrities Rescuing Africa,
Harper's Betrayal, And Actors In The White House." Maclean's 120.48 (2007): 20. Middle Search Plus. Web. 14 Dec. 2011.
Page created on 1/29/2012 12:00:00 AM
Last edited 1/29/2012 12:00:00 AM