Patty Hall of White Bear Lake Rotary is the founder of H2Oforlifeschools.org, the mission of which is to involve children in raising both awareness and funds for improvement in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene education in poor rural areas of Africa.
H2O for Life offers service-learning opportunities designed to engage, educate and inspire youth to take action to solve the global water crisis by raising awareness and funds to support implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene education projects for global partner schools.
The concept started with one school, and it has grown to involve 17 schools in the US. Students have, to date, raised over $4 million for numerous overseas projects. National attention from exposure on the Today Show and Good Morning America has helped to drive the expansion.
Patty emphasized the need to collaborate with local Nongovernmental Organizations to enhance project sustainability.
Making a good thing better
White Bear Lake Rotary’s current Rotary District Grant’s objective is building water and sanitation facilities for the Nasaruni School for Masai Girls in Narok, Kenya.
The school has grown from 20 to about 120 students (about 100 of whom are boarders) thanks to improved water access from the original project. As it expands to provide education beyond eighth grade, improved facilities will enable the school to attract and retain quality teachers, who reside at the school.
As she concluded the talk, Patty urged us to consider traveling to Narok to see the school and meet students and staff. She has found travel to Kenya to be enriching and enlightening.