| As an extension to their A Long Walk to Water novel unit, sixth graders at Whitewater Middle School have completed the Iron Giraffe Challenge for the third year in a row. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park tells the true story of Salva Dut, a man who was driven away from his home in Sudan as a young boy due to the ongoing civil war between northern and southern Sudan. As students read this story, they learned how Salva, despite personal and societal conflicts, was able to survive the harsh environment of Sudan and eventually be granted US citizenship. After gaining US citizenship, Salva Dut started Water for South Sudan, an organization that works to provide clean and sustainable drinking water to areas of South Sudan that are in need. Each year, Water for South Sudan invites schools to participate in the Iron Giraffe Challenge which asks schools to raise $1,000 for their organization. WFSS uses this money to build and rehabilitate water wells in Africa; the foundation also uses this money to provide hygiene trainings for villages in South Sudan which teach villagers to bathe, clean, and wash properly with their newly accessible water source. Each of the past three years, Whitewater Middle School has participated in and completed the Iron Giraffe Challenge, raising a total of $3,435 in their fundraising efforts. On Friday, April 8, Whitewater Middle School will be one of less than 100 schools in the world in a drawing to win a number of prizes including a school visit from Salva Dut himself. Other prizes include Zoom calls from Salva and Linda Sue Park. Please join in the community excitement by tuning in to Water for South Sudan’s live drawing which will stream worldwide on Facebook on Friday, April 8th at 11:00 CDT. |
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