PG 7th Grade-Iron Giraffe Challenge
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Students in 7th grade at Prairie Grove Junior High School recently read the book A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Parks. The novel describes the struggles of Salva Dut (a real Lost Boy from the Sudanese Civil War), and a fictional character Nya.
One of the many hardships from the book was the lack of access to clean (and safe) water. Nya (11 years old) spent her entire life walking back and forth to a pond, attempting to provide water for her family. In the story, Nya's sister became sick after drinking the water, so the family had to walk hundreds of miles to the nearest hospital for her to be helped. Although Nya and her family are fictional, they represent a very real struggle for many of the people of Southern Sudan.
After Salva Dut relocated to America, he learned that with the installation of a well, the people of Southern Sudan could access clean water from their towns. Having access to wells from within their town means a complete lifestyle change (towns could open and operate schools and markets, and the residents wouldn't have to spend their lives walking for water).
Water for South Sudan is an organization that Salva Dut leads to help fund the wells. According to the organization, "As of May 2016, (they) have drilled 282 wells, serving hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese. The difficulty of drilling wells in the remote villages of South Sudan is that in many places there are no roads – sometimes even dirt roads do not exist. This puts a tremendous strain on (their) vehicles, causing frequent breakdowns. The drilling rig—the Iron Giraffe— is about eight years old and on its last legs. In order to continue (their) work, it is critical that (they) buy a new Iron Giraffe. "
Children from 200 schools around the world have taken the "Iron Giraffe Challenge" to help fund the new well. Prairie Grove's 7th graders are also taking on the challenge, with the hope of helping to fund the well, as well as make an impact on a worldwide scale.
Thank you so much for considering our fundraiser.
One of the many hardships from the book was the lack of access to clean (and safe) water. Nya (11 years old) spent her entire life walking back and forth to a pond, attempting to provide water for her family. In the story, Nya's sister became sick after drinking the water, so the family had to walk hundreds of miles to the nearest hospital for her to be helped. Although Nya and her family are fictional, they represent a very real struggle for many of the people of Southern Sudan.
After Salva Dut relocated to America, he learned that with the installation of a well, the people of Southern Sudan could access clean water from their towns. Having access to wells from within their town means a complete lifestyle change (towns could open and operate schools and markets, and the residents wouldn't have to spend their lives walking for water).
Water for South Sudan is an organization that Salva Dut leads to help fund the wells. According to the organization, "As of May 2016, (they) have drilled 282 wells, serving hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese. The difficulty of drilling wells in the remote villages of South Sudan is that in many places there are no roads – sometimes even dirt roads do not exist. This puts a tremendous strain on (their) vehicles, causing frequent breakdowns. The drilling rig—the Iron Giraffe— is about eight years old and on its last legs. In order to continue (their) work, it is critical that (they) buy a new Iron Giraffe. "
Children from 200 schools around the world have taken the "Iron Giraffe Challenge" to help fund the new well. Prairie Grove's 7th graders are also taking on the challenge, with the hope of helping to fund the well, as well as make an impact on a worldwide scale.
Thank you so much for considering our fundraiser.
Organizer
PGJH 7th Grade
Organizer
Crystal Lake, IL
