Louisville middle school students raising money to improve water access for Congo school

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some Louisville middle school students are learning about the value of safe water around the globe as part of a service-learning project.

Seventh grade students in Jefferson County Public Schools read the book "A Long Walk to Water," about two 11-year-old children living in Sudan who encounter armed rebels, lions and crocodiles daily as they walk for miles looking for water and safety.

Students at Echo Trail Elementary School recently got a hands-on look at the world's water crisis. Through a partnership with Louisville nonprofit WaterStep, students lined up in the school's gym and lifted 45-pound jerrycans to get a feel for what it's like to have to carry water.

The students are taking their lessons a step further, raising money to help a school in the Democratic Republic of Congo called Congo Connect and Thrive. So far, students have raised nearly $5,175 of their $6,000 goal to provide funding to build new bathrooms at Congo Connect and Thrive.

The six new bathrooms, three for boys and three for girls, will replace dangerous latrines at risk of collapsing. Officials said the school currently has only two latrines for 400 children.

"This service-learning project is a real-world activity that brings our motto and pillars to life for our students," Echo Trail Principal Dr. Kara Ammerman said in a news release Friday. "It also provided the opportunity for our students to be leaders and is a wonderful example of what we want to promote and instill in our students."

Leaders said the hope is to make similar projects an annual effort "to support more WaterStep projects around the world."

WaterStep provides safe water to people in 72 countries through tools, technology and training it has developed to "empower people and communities to solve their own water and sanitation needs." The nonprofit focuses on places with fragile infrastructure like rural villages.

To learn more about the project or donate, click here.

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