Walk for Water

Our students continue to amaze us with their ideas and enthusiasm! The are giving up their lunch periods, coming in before school, and emailing us with their ideas on weekends. . .all to create a "Walk for Water" that blossomed from one 7th grade team doing an evening walkathon last year to many events this year that include three junior high schools in our district. In the works is a benefit concert, a human Hungry Hungry Hippos game fundraiser, and, of course, the walk itself. They have expanded the 3 mile walk to include posters along the route that highlight facts about water usage and water needs around the world and students (and community participants) will carry gallons of water to symbolize the journey that kids their age must make each day just to get clean water for their families.

They have also chosen areas of concentration and those will benefit from their fundraising efforts. A school in India was at the top of their list. The information from H20ForLife is inluded here:

Adarsh Khan Mazdoor Bal Vikas School, Chakdada Plugins: AfterDisplayTitle K2 Plugins: K2AfterDisplayTitle Print Button

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The proposed project will be an integrated effort on improving health and sanitation practices, water availability, behavioral change of children leading to community development and enhanced education environment in villages of Thar area through important aspects–Taanka construction, Toilet construction, Medical camps and Awareness trainings.

The activities proposed are as follows:

• Construction of Taanka: Water is the most precious and rare commodity in the desert and its absence is a major cause of poverty, illiteracy and water related disease. Construction of Rain Water Harvesting Structure-Taanka will be done each in school to harvest pure and drinkable rain water at school for the children. Taanka is an underground cylindrical water tank of 20,000 liters storage capacity which is connected to the roof top through pipe or has a water catchment bed with silt trapper to harvest clean, sweet and potable rain water.

• Construction of School Toilets: In rural areas, sanitation is also a major problem. The project will focus on setting up toilets at school and on educating the community including children on the importance of using toilets and sanitation. We propose to construct separate toilets for boys and girls in school. The usage of water in the toilets will be managed by the Taanka to be constructed in the school.

• Awareness Camps/Trainings: Regular awareness sessions will be carried out to impart education on health, water borne diseases, personal hygiene and sanitation measures. Parents and teachers will be highly involved in making the sessions applicable and effective. Such trainings will enhance the children’s ability to work, think and reason to bring integral development. Adolescence is a formative period, and deprivation can have lasting effects on physical and mental development. These trainings will address problems of adolescents and will train them about physical, mental health, and sanitation practices. Such two trainings will be organized in school.

• Medical Camps: Medical outreach camps will be organized at school to diagnose & give immediate relief to school children against common seasonal diseases in remote villages where other health services do not exist. Examination and treatment of patients and referral will be part of camps. 2 camps will be organized to improve the health status of children in school. Item extra fields

Additional Info​

• Type:Rain Catchment Tank, New Latrines, Handwashing Station, Hygiene Education

• Cost:$4,950

• Country:India

• Beneficiaries:70

I am so impressed with our students!