Mansfield pupils raising money for Sudan water project

MANSFIELD — Plentiful, safe drinking water is something most Americans take for granted.

In South Sudan, clean water is at a premium and families often must travel long distances to draw water from community wells.

On Tuesday, fifth-grade students at Jordan-Jackson Elementary School will walk a mile around their school with pairs of students carrying a gallon of water in a quest to raise $15,000 to aid Water for South Sudan, a charity that drills new wells and rehabilitates others in the African nation to make drinking water available to all.

The students recently participated in the the 2017 Global Read Aloud by reading "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park. The story recounts the extraordinary 1985 experiences of Salva Dut, a former “Lost Boy” of South Sudan and blends in a fictional character living in South Sudan in 2009.

While reading the book, the students were moved to help the people of South Sudan by holding a walk-a-thon.

The walk will start at 9:30 a.m. when the students will walk around the Jordan-Jackson’s East Street fields.

School parent organization MESA provided the books as well as the gallons of water and commemorative bracelets for the students. After the walk, the gallons of water will be donated to several local food pantries.

Students are circulating petitions to collect pledges toward their fundraising goal to support the building of a new well in a village.

Checks made out to Water for South Sudan and cash donations are being accepted at school. In addition, online donations can be made at the school’s Water for South Sudan page //goo.gl/b1QXBK.

So far, the online pledge drive has raised over $2,400.

Water for South Sudan drills fresh water wells in South Sudan, one of the world’s poorest countries. The organization’s website says that, since 2005, 304 wells have been drilled bringing clean water to hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese. WFSS was founded by Salva Dut himself.

In 2017, WFSS began rehabilitating older wells with an updated design and more durable materials. The organization is committed to continuing its service to bring plentiful water supplies to the area.

Rick Foster can be reached at 508-236-0360.