School project expected to benefit thousands in Ethiopia

Being a kind person, having empathy for others or writing someone an encouraging letter can all be achieved without spending any money. Andrew Lewis Middle School (ALMS) Paraprofessional Liz Leonard believes that the earlier a child is taught that, the more likely they are to treat everyone with respect as they maneuver through life.

In an effort to help nearly 2,000 pupils in Ethiopia, 42 ALMS students participated in a Water Walk Project. On Monday, January 22, Wolverine students gathered for a three-mile walk through their school to simulate the conditions of what children in other countries go through on a daily basis. “The Water Walk Project was to showcase how water is distributed throughout the world, and how many countries have to walk many miles to pick up their water,” Liz said. “Our students came up with the idea.”

Once upon a time, circa 1999, Suyla Kebede was a teenager living in Ethiopia. A Roanoke County resident for the last eight years, Kebede says she vividly remembers not having access to clean water as a child. “I grew up extremely poor in a big family,” she said. “When I heard about the Andrew Lewis Water Walk Project, it was a foregone conclusion that I was going to get involved. Hopefully, I can encourage a lot of people to get involved as well.”

Seventh-grader Cory Bass said that Monday was the first time he ever participated in a school project that involved water and walking. “Helping the less fortunate is a good feeling,” he said. “I could easily be in that situation. I am blessed to have the things that I do.”

Judith Painter, an ALMS Social Studies teacher, was pleased to see how excited her students were to help the less fortunate. “Seeing them get involved with something like this is really exciting,” she said. “Sometimes we have a disconnect with what’s going on here and what’s going on in other countries. Projects like this allow them to view life through a different lens.”

Regardless if one is an expert on how children live in other countries or just learning what many foreign students go through each day, Judith says anyone can get involved with the Water Walk Project before the February 10 deadline. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/ALMS-ww or contactjpainter@salem.k12.va.us.