A Toast to Clean Water

The Winter 2009 Principia Purpose reported on the Upper School Philanthropy class’s efforts to raise money—and awareness of the need—for clean water in developing nations. Just a few months later, we’re happy to report that on February 10, members of the Philanthropy class and scores of Upper Schoolers all raised glasses of clean water in a lunchtime toast celebrating the successful completion of the fund drive. With remarkable speed, the class raised $6,950, enough to secure the matching funds needed to supply the Kinamba Primary School in Kenya clean water for drinking and personal hygiene.

The original plan had been to provide the school with a well, but water tables in the area are so low due to drought that all drilling for wells has been stopped. Instead, the funds will provide for the purchase and installation of a rooftop catchment that will collect rainwater during monsoon seasons (twice a year). After being filtered, the water can be used for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. Having clean water on hand will make a huge difference to the entire school, which serves just over 700 students ranging in age from 5 to 14 years. But the girls will benefit the most since 160 of them have been walking miles each day to fetch contaminated stream water—the only water available—and carry it back to school. These girls will now be free to devote their full time to learning.

Lauren Furbush (US’10), who announced the success of the fund drive, noted its life-changing impact: “We are providing these students with clean, safe water—something they have not had!” Now, there’s something worth toasting!