Water Well in Kenya

Hi everyone!
My name is Katie and I am a 8th grader at a Waldorf school in Colorado. At our school, in 8th grade it is a requirement to do a project on a topic of your choosing. I wanted to do something that could impact the world, even if just a small part of it. That is why my project became water education.

Water conservation has been and continues to be a big part of my life. I grew up on our family ranch in a remote part of Utah. The primary source of water is a solar powered well that supplies water for our home and the ranch.  So very early on, I learned the importance of not wasting water and the importance of not taking clean water for granted.  

Last summer our family took a trip to Kenya and it completely changed my life. Tony, my mentor for this 8th grade project who was also our safari guide, is closely affiliated with a local school in Kenya. He does a great amount of work at the school, helping with all he can. He shared with me that they were striving to dig a well and I immediately wanted to help. It would cost $15,000.

Makhanga Hope Academy is a boarding school in Kenya and is about two miles away from the nearest water source.  After the hand dug well dried up, everyone knew it wasn’t sustainable.  Kids were having to walk about two miles every morning to bath, clean their clothing, and gather water for culinary uses. After a while, the idea for the well was put in place. The pipes were installed and all they needed was the water. They took out a loan for the well and began to dig.  As of now, the government has run numerous tests and has  recommended to dig a bit deeper in order to make the water the safest it can be.

My grandfather has generously offered to match all of the funds that I raise for this well project. So I am asking all of you to help me achieve this goal by donating to this fund which will help repay this debt. It would mean the world to me because I feel it is unfair that kids the same age as me do not have a simple thing like access to clean water. In America, we don't have to think about water and it is easy to take for granted. For other kids in different parts of the world, it is a daily struggle and I find that incredibly unfair. 

Striving to make a difference is an important part of my life and I think that if we can come together, we can achieve this goal of giving these children clean water and YOU can help me make this happen for them.