Merton Williams Middle School students are learning that simply turning on a tap for clean water isn’t an option for everyone. On March 15, Jessica Alinaitwe, director of Community Partnership for the Ugandan Water Project, presented to seventh graders on how the search for water is one of the most important and time consuming parts of a Ugandan’s day. Students learned that Uganda’s water sources are filled with pollutants like clay and animal waste.
Students Grace Reynolds and Christian Hyatt, along with Social Studies Teacher Sarah Boily volunteered to introduce pollutants to a tank of water, then witness how a filter with the same hollow fiber membrane technology found in dialysis machines takes that water and makes it safe to drink. And they drank it.
At the same time, eighth graders headed to the science classrooms to create and test their own water filters using cotton balls, sponges and pebbles. They also learned how little of the earth’s water is fresh and easily accessible.
The day’s activities launched the sixth year that Merton Williams students have raised money for Ugandan Water Project as their Service Learning Project, a component of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP). Their goal is to raise $3,600 to fund the installation of a rainwater collection tank. The cost covers everything from materials and transportation to installation and labor. The tank holds 2,600 gallons of rainwater, serves 200 to 300 people, and lasts about 30 years. Included with each tank installation is a Sawyer pointONE filter, which is a hand-sized water filter that can clean one million gallons of water from the tank during its lifetime with minimal maintenance.
“These projects are simple and effective,” said Steve Cudzilo, MYP coordinator. “Clean water improves health, reduces time spent fetching water from other sources, reduces time and money spent on boiling the dirty water, increases time spent in school, and opens up opportunities that were not possible before.”
Last year, the Merton Williams community raised $6,500 which funded a complete rainwater catchment system, with the additional funds going to a second rainwater catchment system. This year’s campaign runs from March 15 through April 14. To donate, visit https://UgandanWaterProject.com/Hilton. Donations can be dedicated to a Merton Williams student so they can win a prize.
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