Ozark students simulate survival conditions of South Sudan in fundraising exercise

More than 100 kids spent their last day of school sweating for a good cause.

Ozark Middle School students organized and held “Walk for Water,” an event designed to simulate conditions that children their age and younger living in South Sudan experience in order to have potable water. On the morning of May 23, students carried one or two gallons of water for 15 laps around the school grounds — a tally of 3.7 miles with 8-16 pounds of weight.

Adrian Ortega breathed heavily and said his arms felt tired as he completed his eighth circuit and started his ninth trip.

“It just feels like it gets heavier over time,” Ortega said.

Ortega opted to carry two gallon jugs of water during the exercise, a choice he made to best simulate the conditions that the African children experience when fetching water for their families.

“The children in South Sudan, when they are about 7 or 8 years old, have to carry 40 pounds of water, so I wanted to try to do the same as them and see how tough it is,” Ortega said.

The students learned that African girls are usually tasked with walking miles back and forth to carry water from wells. Some boys go to school instead.

The Ozark students performed the walk after they read a book called “A Long Walk to Water,” a novel that includes the real life story of Salva Dut. Dut became separated from his family as an 11-year-old boy during the Second Sudanese Civil War. Dut later emigrated to the United States as a refugee.

Seventh grade social studies teacher Megan Taylor taught the kids about Dut’s efforts to help the people who remain in his native country.

“He created an organization where he goes over into Africa into southern Sudan, where he was from, and builds wells so that they don’t have to walk all that time. Once wells go in, they build schools, and all the kids get to go to school,” Taylor said.

Taylor explained that marketplaces and medical facilities are often built alongside schools when a well is dug.

As of May 23, Ozark Middle School students raised $4,022 for a charity called Water for South Sudan, Dut’s organization.

Miranda Payne was the top earning individual student. She brought in more than $300 in donations with the help of her neighbors and her parents’ social media accounts.

“I just walked around my neighborhood and I asked people for money. I posted a video on Facebook asking people for money, and that’s how I got most of my money, off of Facebook,” Payne said.

For Payne, the extra fundraising effort paled in comparison to what she pictured the girls in South Sudan experiencing when they fetch water.

“They don’t even really get fresh water. They walk a really long way just to get dirty water, and they get diseases from it because it’s dirty. It’s really sad,” Payne said.

By the time she finished the first mile of the walk, Payne had some trouble staying comfortable while carrying two gallons of water.

“It’s just kind of awkward carrying it. It’s a little weird because I don’t know what to do with it,” Payne said.

Like Ortega, Payne chose to carry the maximum-allowed two gallons of water “to really comprehend the fact of how hard it is for girls in South Sudan.”

Ortega also wanted to make the fundraising task difficult, but rethought his decision midway through the walk.

“I wanted it to be as close to as difficult as it would be for them,” Ortega said, and then he snuck in a joke. “I kind of want to go home.”

Taylor said the students chose how far they would walk while carrying water.

“The average girl walks 3.7 miles just to get water, and then she has to walk 3.7 miles home. Our kids are just walking 3.7 miles. We figured that was far enough for them today,” Taylor said.

The students hoped Ozark Middle School could raise enough money with one walk to fund construction of one well in South Sudan. As of May 23, they were about $1,000 shy of their goal.

“For $5,000, they will put our name on a plaque and send us a picture of the well when it’s finished with all of the villagers, and that’s what we’re really hoping for,” Taylor said.

A website for donations to Water for South Sudan is still available at: https://water-for-south-sudan-inc.networkforgood.com/projects/51482-megan-taylor-s-fundraiser?from_wicked_finish=true^[1]

References

1. ^{^} https://water-for-south-sudan-inc.networkforgood.com/projects/51482-megan-taylor-s-fundraiser?from_wicked_finish=true (water-for-south-sudan-inc.networkforgood.com)