Water for Sudan

During the first months of school, one class of sixth graders read the novel, A Long Walk to Water. This book was selected as the 2017 Global Read Aloud Book.  The central idea of the book is told from two characters.  The real-life story of 11-year-old Salva and his desperate struggle to survive the 1985 Sudan War.  Without his family, he initially fled to Ethiopia, later kicked out of the refugee camp, he leads 1500 other Lost Boys to Kenya in search of safety.
The second viewpoint is a fictitious character, Nya, from a recent 2008 timeline.  She is also 11 years old and living in South Sudan, walking 8 hours a day, to bring water to her family.  The polluted water, while necessary for survival, is also making her family sick.  The story ends with Salva, now an adult, living in America and founder of a non-profit organization, returning to Southern Sudan to drill a well.  The equipment used to dig a well appears to Nya as an Iron Giraffe.
Through community donations, bake sales, and a free throw challenge, less than fifteen sixth graders raised almost $215.00.  This money will be pooled together with other schools in a combined effort to install another well in Southern Sudan.  Doing so not only provides clean water, but also a chance for children to go to school instead of spending their days on long treks for water. 
Our students worked to provide relief for people across the world, and that is something to be very proud of.   

~Mrs. DiFulvio