We all may have read a book or two that have changed our lives, or at least our outlook on life, but no one could imagine the impact that one certain book would have on a group of students at Waynesfield-Goshen Elementary School.
“Well, the story was powerful, I knew that, and I just wanted it to be eye-opening. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever envision this,” says Deb Johns, the guided reading instructor at the school.
“A Long Walk to Water” is a short novel by Linda Sue Park that tells the story of a girl who has to miss school every day to walk eight hours for a source of water that isn’t even clean. The students were in utter disbelief and even needed to do some research to see for themselves that this is a real issue.
Eli Zechman, one of the students who read the book says, “I just felt very privileged because people don’t get the same things we get.”
Once the students found out that this is a reality to some kids around the world, it was their call to action.
“I just wanted to help because I wanted them to experience a normal life," says Zechman. "A life without having to go to dirty water wells, having to skip school just to get that water, and then getting sick because of that water.”
The group of 8 students started raising money last school year in 5th grade with a project called “Coins for Congo.” The money will be used toward building a well with clean water for a small village that consists of over 200 children, most of which are orphans.
They recently hit their goal of $15,000 and presented the check to DR Congoaid International, a foundation that will build the well.
Emmanuel Cibasu, the president and chairman of the organization says, “This tells you the power of the love, love without borders. It doesn’t take for someone to be much older, it takes that seed, that love, regardless of the age, that you’ve heard something inside of them screaming, ‘help your neighbor’”
The students didn’t just stop there. They are continuing to raise money for a bathroom for the village as well.
Johns says, “I just stood back, and let God operate, and this is how he did it. All I did was bring a book.”
