by Andi Claman

I am fortunate enough to say that, like most American girls my age, I don’t spend much time worrying about where my water comes from. Even during the extreme drought in California, the water ran from my faucet as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

This is not the case for those who live in Niger, the poorest country in the world. Access to safe water is extremely limited. Women and girls often walk four to six miles a day just to find water, water that is often contaminated. Most of the time, I have to walk four to six steps to the nearest faucet, and I can rest assured that the water is clean and safe to drink. This is not something I take for granted, because I recognize how fortunate I am to be able to so easily access this precious resource.

The lack of awareness among people my age regarding the situation involving water in Niger is alarming. With many things going on in the busy lives of high school students, it is easy to forget that the world faces so many difficulties outside one’s life.

I was drawn to the Wells Bring Hope club at my school as a freshman because of all the good that Wells Bring Hope does.

The Club’s mission statement is: “Wells Bring Home is a club that has two purposes. The first is educating the Chadwick community about the need for clean water and the impact clean water has in Niger. The second purpose is to raise money to purchase well(s) in Africa. Through discussion, fundraising, education, and fun activities, we hope to make Wells Bring Hope part of the community for years to come.” Since our club was founded five years ago, we’ve raised enough money to drill four wells, and we’re well on our way to funding a fifth!

Now, in my junior year, I am leading the club, and we’ve had numerous accomplishments throughout the year. We carried out a school-wide coin drive where we raised money for Wells Bring Hope. We participated in the annual fundraiser, created a club Instagram (@chadwickwellsbringhope), and hosted Barbara Goldberg, the founder of Wells Bring Hope, came to Chadwick to give a presentation about the organization.  I know that her talk had an impact on the students because after the presentation, I was greeted with many bright-eyed students wanting to learn more and eager to get involved.


Picture: Barbara Goldberg presenting to a group of about 50 students and teachers about Wells Bring Hope.

If you are a high school student reading this, I hope you consider starting a Wells Bring Hope Club at your school. For me, its all about creating an inclusive environment where people who want to make a difference in our world can come together to raise awareness and funds for the Wells Bring Hope Organization. If your high school days are behind you, I hope you consider supporting Wells Bring Hope in any way that you see fit. You can support our Water Circle here.

 

 

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