Sixth graders at Shady Side Academy Middle School have been supporting the work of Water for South Sudan for the past three years, and the water well that the class co-sponsored has been drilled in the village of Wunkuel in Achol, Tonj, South Sudan.

Water for South Sudan is a nonprofit organization founded by Salva Dut, who is featured in the book A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. After reading the book in English class this year, the sixth graders held a walk-a-thon on Global Action Day in December to raise funds to support the drilling of a water well in a village in South Sudan. Access to clean water transforms villages, allowing children, particularly girls, to go to school instead of spending their days journeying long distances to carry water to their homes.

Congratulations to the sixth graders for their efforts to support this life-changing project!