A new chapter on vital drops

A LESSON in water scarcity, and hardship faced by some less fortunate people to get the precious drop — this is what Year 6 students of Our Lady of the Way Wallan East learnt the practical way.

One hundred and six Year 6 students were joined by others from the school as they trekked around the 500-metre school oval throughout the day last Wednesday, carrying bottles and big buckets of water, two at a time.

Year 6 teacher Mark van Zyl said the Big Water Walk was part of the Project Compassion, a fundraiser at the school.

“It’s about raising awareness about the importance of lack of fresh water,,” Mr van Zyl said.

“The kids learnt that some people in African towns are walking three miles a day to get fresh water for their family and are missing education, and other things in life.

“It is all about compassion. We are trying to get the kids to walk in the footsteps of these people and just feel and realise that there are a lot of people that have less than us, and we need to be grateful for what we have got.

“It is raising awareness for our school community to realise that there are people doing it hard. We have to learn about facts about the water usage in the world and we realise that only 3 per cent of the world’s water is actually fresh and drinkable water.

“They even learnt some scary facts about how every minute a child under three dies due to not having fresh drinking water, and the fact how kids and people are walking at least three miles a day to get fresh water, and some of that water is not fresh. Some of that water is full of bacteria and disease, but they do have to end up drinking it because that is the only water they have got.”

Mr van Zyl said the project is more about raising awareness and education. The school is also collecting money in Project Compassion boxes and support Caritas to carry out works for establishing wells in various African towns.