On June 3, the Walking for Water Club, run by senior Charlotte Watkins, will be hosting a walk at the LBHS track to raise money to build wells in Africa.

“I decided to restart the club when I was in it sophomore year,” said Watkins. “The woman from the non-profit, Susan Hough, told me the club was losing support, and I chose to take over. My goal is to make the first walk in Laguna a success.”

If the club raises enough money for wells, women and children can receive an education instead of walking all day. Some villagers walk six to ten miles with heavy loads of water on their heads just to go to a well and bring it back to their village.

“We are pairing with a national non-profit, Wisdom Spring, that has a history of raising money to put wells in Africa for people who don’t have access to clean water,” said senior Ellie Glade.

“If we are able to raise money at this walk, we will hopefully be able to put in at least one well and change the lives of thousands of people,” said Glade.

Participants will demonstrate support by walking and making a financial donation to attend.  Furthermore, the club is reaching out to businesses to sponsor the event.

“The most rewarding experience is knowing that I am making a difference in people’s lives who need the support,” said Watkins. “We have the luxury of a running faucet, but in Africa they consider it magic.”

Though Walking for Water is not directly building the wells in Africa, the club had the opportunity to meet a woman named Sobonfu Some who is a part of the Walking for Water organization.

“She told us about the first time she came to the United States. She turned on a faucet and saw clean water pouring out, and she started crying,” said Glade. “She was so excited; hearing her talk about that and meeting her, seeing how lively she was, was super rewarding.”