When affluent Americans attend a wine-tasting reception at the World Trade Centre in Atlanta next week, about 800 residents of Sakkampati village in Tamil Nadu will have a reason to rejoice.

The March 20 reception, christened the Atlanta Water for Life Event, will feature several varieties of wine from the famous Australian winery, Banrock Station, and seek to raise $20,000 to help fund a drinking water-cum-sanitation project in Sakkampati in Tiruchirapalli district.

The residents of the village, which has 180 houses, have just two hand-pumps and a well for drinking water purpose.

The water sources were not constructed properly. The people defecate in the open; the sewage system is rotting and there is very little awareness about health and hygiene.

The residents can only pay a part of the money required to build a safe water system.

"When Gramalaya, our local partners in Tamil Nadu, identified Sakkampati and Keelakarthigaipatti as two remote villages requiring help to tide over the potable water crisis, we decided to extend help," said Susan Davis of WaterPartners International.

WaterPartners is a 'not for profit' organisation, which seeks to create awareness about the potable water crisis.

Since 1990, it has supported projects in 52 communities benefiting more than 22,000 people in Latin America. The organisation started work in Asia in 2001.

"Basically what we are trying to do here is to fill the gap in funding. The villagers have a small amount of money and they can provide volunteer labour for the project as donation in kind for the capital costs," Davis told rediff.com

"We are just providing them the capital and once they get it and the training and the project gets going, they will be self-reliant. They will not need us."

WaterPartners extends help after the community asks for it. After the initial funding and training, it lets the community take a leading role in solving its own problems.

On March 20, the guests at the wine-tasting event will learn about the plight of the Sakkampati village as they savour wine and listen to Michael Gallant, known as the ‘wine guy' on the Atlanta Cooks Radio show.

Guests will also enjoy jazz by moonlighters and can bid for art, wine and restaurant gift certificates in a silent auction.

Tickets are free, but Waterpartners, which is co-hosting the event along with the Indian Professionals Network and the World Trade Centre, has suggested a minimum donation of $60.

Davis said that the number of guests who turn up for such events varies from place to place. "On the March 20 fundraiser we are expecting about 150 people."

Waterpartners, which has organised events in San Francisco, Washington and other cities across America, will host a similar reception in Seattle on April 4 to raise funds for a potable water project in Keelakarthigaipatti.