Wall Intermediate Helps Bring Clean Drinking Water to Sudan

In a recent unit of study, Wall Intermediate School’s eighth grade English Language Arts teachers chose the non-fiction book A Long Walk to Water for their students to read. Written by author Linda Sue Park, this New York Times bestseller chronicles the lives of two Sudanese children: Nya, a girl who travels by foot four hours a day just to find clean drinking water and Salva, a refuge who eludes death on multiple occasions.

One day, the students and teachers had the rare opportunity to speak to author Linda Sue Park. They were so inspired by her, and the characters in her literary piece, they began to brainstorm an idea for a project. How could they provide help to the people of southern Sudan?

The students and staff decided to focus their fundraising efforts on Water for South Sudan, a nonprofit foundation started by Salva Dut, the child whose story is featured in A Long Walk to Water. The staff and students organized an after school volleyball tournament to pay tribute to Salva who learned the English language and played volleyball when he traveled to America. The fundraiser was called “Serving for Sudan.”

“Serving for Sudan” was a tremendous success. Wall Intermediate School raised more than $400. All fundraising proceeds were sent to Salva Dut's Water for South Sudan foundation to help fund a new water well, providing clean water to people of south Sudan.