Every year 7th graders at Decorah Middle School immerse themselves in a cross-curricular project aimed to sharpen their skills while also experiencing the benefits of philanthropy.  Students in Carrie Reed’s Global Studies class examine how water can create inequalities in societies by impacting health, education, hunger, and poverty. These same students read and analyze the novel “A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park in Pamela Dambek’s language class. The project culminates in students walking from the middle school to the Upper Iowa River to collect water to carry through town on their way back to school.

Two years ago the 7th graders (class of 2028) raised over $5000 from donations from family and community members and other fundraisers: enough to build a well through the nonprofit organization Water to Thrive. Recently the now 9th graders at Decorah High School received information about how their donation became a reality: a well that benefits over 150 people in Uganda. 

Jennifer Kondelis, Programs Assistant, and Susanne Wilson, Executive Director of Water to Thrive, communicated this to the teachers and students: “In addition to providing clean, safe water to hundreds of people, your well has significantly reduced the amount of time women and children spend collecting water. Women have gained the time they need to take better care of their families and engage in income-generating activities. Children now have more time to go to school and be absent less often as water-related diseases become a thing of the past. We are grateful to have you as a partner as we commit to bring clean water to those who so desperately need it.”  

Nayiga Cotilda, a 35-year-old mother of four, is one villager who is benefiting tremendously from the well. For 20 years she struggled to access safe and clear water, which took a toll on her family’s health and finances. Her daughter frequently suffered from waterborne illnesses, which strained their budget. Everything changed when PaCT and Water to Thrive intervened, providing a reliable source of clean water and instilling hope in the community. She stated, “PaCT and Water to Thrive didn’t just give us clean water–they gave us a new life.”

According to their website www.watertothrive.org, “Water to Thrive transforms lives in rural Africa by bringing the sustainable blessing of clean, safe water to communities in need by connecting them to social investors, congregations, schools, individuals, and community groups with a heart to make a difference.”

Ugandan family using new well.