Unadilla Valley's 7th graders raised more than $1,000 for Water for South Sudan, Inc. this spring.
The effort was a part of their experience with reading the book, A Long Walk to Water.
The book is based in Sudan in 2008, where it follows the story of Nya, an 11-year-old girl, and also in 1985, where it follows an 11-year-old boy, Salva, a refugee traveling across the African continent on foot. It’s a story of perseverance, hope and survival and is based on the real-life experiences of Salva, who founded Water for South Sudan.
In recent years, Mrs. Wolford’s class emulated how Nya walked eight hours a day for water for her family in the book. Mrs. Wolford’s students were tasked with taking empty boxes and traveling around the school campus to find a cache of water jugs, which they then had to return. They walked about a half mile as they looped around the campus, discovered the jugs and retrieved them.
On April 28, students filled a gallon jug with water, and walked around the track as many times as they could in an hour. The students sought pledges to help their fundraiser.
Paul Ruffles was the student who raised the most money - $200. While Molly Gorrell, Kian Revette and Austin Mumbolo did the most laps - 19.
UV was one of 352 schools from 12 countries to hit the benchmark of $1,000 raised.
"The kids did a really good job,” Mrs. Wolford said. “I’m so proud of them.”
Water for South Sudan, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded by Salva Dut, one of the thousands of Lost Boys who, at age 11, survived Sudan’s civil war by walking across Africa’s harsh wilderness, dodging militia to reach safety in refugee camps. Nineteen years after leaving his family, he returned to Sudan to search for his father. His father had made it through the war only to be gravely ill from drinking contaminated water. Salva decided then he would find a way to make sure his father and his community never had to drink contaminated water again. He spent the next few years building his not-for-profit Water for South Sudan, Inc. Water for South Sudan, Inc. actively fundraises to drill wells in South Sudan that provide clean, safe drinking water for the locals. Without a well, women and girls in the village are responsible for walking miles for water that may not even be safe to drink. This time spent traveling for water results in women and girls not having the opportunity to receive an education, grow food or cook,engage with their community, etc. Drilling wells in South Sudan not only improves overall physical health but gives communities the opportunity to channel their time and energy into improving and connecting with their communities.