Water For South Sudan: Hatboro-Horsham Middle Schoolers Inspired To Help

Keith Valley Middle School seventh graders are working to help bring water to people in need in the African country of South Sudan.

While reading the bestselling book “A Long Walk to Water,” students were moved to make a difference.

They are relying on the support of family, friends and the community to help them reach their goal of raising $6,000 to build a well in South Sudan that will provide residents with clean water, according to the Hatboro-Horsham School District.

Language Arts Teacher Sarah Beltz assigned A Long Walk to Water to her class in the fall.

The book details events that occurred in that country and follows two children who confront war, poverty and other hardships.

A reality of life in South Sudan is that millions of women and children trek for up to eight hours a day to collect water from marshes, ditches, or hand-dug wells where water is often contaminated with parasites and bacteria.

As the students brainstormed ways to provide assistance, they learned about an organization called Water for South Sudan, a non-profit agency whose mission is to bring clean, fresh water to people living in rural, southern Sudan.

Students have collected more than $1,000 for the project, which they are calling: Wishing for Wells in South Sudan. Early fundraising efforts have been successful but there is still much work to be done.

The students are organizing an assembly and other projects, which we will highlight on the District’s Facebook page.

If you are interested in contributing to Wishing for Wells in South Sudan, please drop a donation in the jar located in KV’s main office, give your donation to any Keith Valley seventh grader or contact SBeltz@Hatboro-Horsham.org for more information.