The children at Cyprus Park School in Vancouver, British Columbia are well on their way to reaching the $8,000 required to drill a well in Sudan, Africa.
The students, from kindergarten to grade four, were motivated to raise funds after an Obakki Foundation representative engaged them in a unique presentation.
The children were told that water was not available in the school and asked them to come up with “what if” scenarios (i.e. “What if too many people have to go to the bathroom and the toilets don’t work?” or “What will happen after PE and we need a drink?”).
Afterwards, they discussed what had been learned, their feelings about everything and their ideas to make a difference. Here is just a sample of what they said…
“Kids can’t go to school because they have to work hard just to walk to get water.”
“It’s dangerous to go get the water because there are wild animals.”
“The water has worms in it that people drink.”
“If you’re thirsty you don’t have a choice. You have to drink.”
“I feel sad because we have all this great water and we waste it.”
“I’m proud of our school for trying to raise money to build a well.”
The teachers asked how the children thought they could make a difference and the results so far have made one thing very clear: these kids have big hearts!
The children of Cypress Park have been inspired and empowered by this project. They are donating birthday money, breaking open their piggy banks and selling “lemon-aid”:
Two students named Jeremy and Kai (with help from Jacqueline at 365give) explain their project:
Over $3,000 has been collected and the “big” fundraising event is still to come. To donate to this project, click here. Congratulations to all of the Cypress Park students!
wonderful kids