Clean drinking water for a community in South Sudan
At the start of the pandemic last year, Ms. Lauren Ward's 6th grade class at the Kennedy School read the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. The book, based on a true story, follows two eleven-year-old children's experiences in South Sudan. Ms. Ward's class decided to support the construction of a well through the organization Water for South Sudan because water scarcity is a central theme in the novel. Students marketed their fundraising efforts through letters, emails, and flyers. They also set up a donation site (https://www.classy.org/team/299104), and put together the fundraising video below. After setting a $1,500 fundraising goal, Ms. Ward's class raised $6,320---enough to pay for a third of the new well's cost.
One student expressed excitement, saying, “WOW, I feel like this is so amazing. Maybe we could put this on our school website so that other kids and families can see what a great school we are and want to come here!” Ms. Cheri Crist, Donor Relations and Data Coordinator at Water for South Sudan wrote, "Thanks to you and your students, a village in South Sudan now has access to clean water."
Ms. Ward is the 6th grade ELA and Social Studies Teacher as well as the School Equity Specialist for the John F. Kennedy School of Somerville Public Schools.
R. Ronen, Communications Specialist