Lutheran school students raise money to bring water, sanitation to school in Africa

Students at St. John–Emmanuel Lutheran School in Monroeville have raised more than $4,400 in cash and pledges to benefit God-Ndonyo Primary School in Kenya. The money raised by St. John-Emmanuel students will be used for latrines, a hand-sanitizing station, and a well at God-Ndonyo School.The fundraising was for H20 for Life, a nonprofit organization that connects schools in the United States with schools in developing countries to complete WASH (WAter, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in Schools projects. In addition to helping partner schools in developing countries, WASH in Schools projects help students here develop a better understanding of their counterparts in other nations through curriculum and experiential learning. All the money raised goes directly to the projects at partner schools.The St. John–Emmanuel project was spearheaded by staff members Julie Goelz and Kim Priest and student committee members Emma Fifer, Ryan Gregory, Olivia Scott, and Jenna Niemeyer.Much of the money raised came through chapel offerings at the school and from additional support from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Monroeville and Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne. Students also sold T-shirts, cookies, and popcorn. They solicited donations from businesses and from individuals during basketball games and other events, and they helped fill glass jugs with their own spare change.“We want our students to know that by working together, we can make a difference in the world,” Goelz says. “What a blessing this project has been for our students!“We start a new project that uses chapel donations every quarter,” Goelz adds. “With an original goal to raise $2,900, this was a very ambitious project for us. Our students really put their hearts into this project.” St. John–Emmanuel has planned a water celebration event for Tuesday, May 15, at 12:15 p.m. May 16 is the weather-postponement date.For more information on H2O for Life, go to www.h2oforlifeschools.org.