CARDIFF — After seven years of determination, students from Ada W. Harris Elementary School have brought clean, safe water to an entire South Sudanese village.
The $15,000 project, in partnership with Water for South Sudan, was fully funded through the efforts of the elementary school’s fifth grade classes from 2018 to 2025, who collectively raised the funds needed to construct the well.
Led by village chief Mathus Bol Kuol, the well was installed at the Malual Monyjoc PHCU in Warrap State, South Sudan. The GPS coordinates of the Ada Harris well are 8.353197, 27.924486.
“It’s incredible to think that our Ada Harris village in Cardiff is serving a village across the world by giving families reliable access to clean water,” said Janelle Scheftner, principal of Ada Harris School. “For Ada Harris students, the project not only represents compassion in action but also highlights the importance of perseverance, creativity, and global citizenship.”
More than 400 Ada Harris students participated in the fundraising efforts over the past seven years, passing the torch from class to class. Some students sold friendship bracelets, baked goods and handmade magnets, while others organized carnation sales and lemonade stands.
“Bringing clean water to the village is only the first step in a ripple effect that will transform the community in many positive ways,” said Sue Yant, a fifth-grade teacher at Ada Harris and project representative. “With water close to home, girls who once walked hours each day for water can now attend school. Clean water also supports basic hygiene, sanitation, crops and local trade. The construction of this well is a powerful example of how young people can spark lasting global change.”
The inspiration for the project came from the fifth-grade class of 2018 after students were introduced to The New York Times bestseller, “A Long Walk to Water,” by Linda Sue Park. The novel tells the true story of Salva Dut, one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” who was separated from his family during the Sudanese Civil War and eventually found refuge in camps in Ethiopia and Kenya.
Interwoven into Salva’s story is the fictional character Nya, a young girl who spends eight hours each day walking to collect water – a reality faced by many women in Sudan. Students learned about the hardships of walking daily for water, the dangers faced by communities, and Salva’s journey. The story connects when Water for South Sudan, the nonprofit organization founded by Salva, drills a well in Nya’s community.
After many years of separation from his family, Salva discovered that his father was still alive in his home village but suffering from a disease caused by waterborne parasites. Inspired to help both his father and others in his country, Salva founded Water for South Sudan to bring clean water to communities in need.
“As the new school year begins at Ada Harris, we are all excited to see what the next generations of students will do,” Scheftner said. “Students today have the resources, inspiration, and power to make changes anywhere in the world. I’m incredibly grateful to be in a position to promote this kind of change first-hand.”
