University of North Carolina students clean up locally and globally

The building of water wells in the Kono district provide communities with clean, safe drinking water

What are we made of, that also comes from the earth and sky, that can be referred to as the drink of the planet and without it nothing could survive?

If you guessed water then you know how important water is to our lives and all life on earth. Yet every year more than 1.5 million people die from waterborne diseases; most of these victims are children in the poorest regions of the globe.
 
When we start the day by brushing our teeth, showering, drinking a glass of water and the other many activities that require the use of water, we seldom think about what a privilege it is to have access to clean water. But access to clean water isn’t simply a privilege; it’s a right, one that should be shared throughout the globe. Sadly, however, more than one billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water. 

After learning of this inequality, students at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, North Carolina, decided to take action. The groups Students for a Healthy Environment and the Amnesty International Club began a Free The Children Clean Water and Sanitation campaign in support of a clean water program for the Kono district of Sierra Leone.

In this poverty stricken area of Sierra Leone, girls spend their days walking to and from polluted rivers to retrieve water for their families. Not only does the lengthy travel leave the girls no time to attend school but the water is often wrought with waterborne parasites. By supporting Free The Children’s Clean Water and Sanitation projects, University of North Carolina students are fundraising to build a well in Kono, providing community members with a source of clean water. What’s more, the wells are built in the vicinity of the schools, enabling the girls to attend classes and collect clean water on their way home from school.   

University of North Carolina students get muddy and make a difference on a global and local level

Through their African Drumming Benefit Concert and a variety of other unique fundraisers, this coalition of movers and shakers is making a difference in the lives of their peers overseas. But Asheville students didn’t stop there – they decided to take action in their own community as well.

On Saturday, February 16, the University’s Outdoors and Leadership Scholars got muddy and cleaned up their beloved French Broad River. Pulling out more than 20 tires, carpet, metal doors and an odd assortment of hazardous materials, students worked together to hoist loads of junk out of the river.

Recognizing the importance of clean water, the students are collaborating to affect positive change on a local and global level…because clean water is what we are all made of.

Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.