What is Walking For Water?

What+is+Walking+For+Water%3F

Gillian Amrein, Staff Writer

Did you know that over 2 billion people live in water stressed countries? Every day there are thousands of people that have to walk 20 or more miles just to get to water that may not even be clean. Walking for Water is trying to change that.

Walking for Water is a teen-driven non-profit organization that helps to provide clean water by building water wells in India and Africa. Walking for Water started here at Heritage 20 years ago, and has since then spread all the way to Laguna Beach High school in California!

Along with providing clean water, Walking for Water also provides teens with new opportunities to explore their passions and become great leaders. There is a spot for everyone in Walking for Water as there are many different aspects to the club such as art, radio, writing, social media, and more. 

Walking for Water has flourished as an organization since the first walk in 2004 where Heritage students were inspired by the stories of Sobonfu Some, one of the founders of wisdom spring. Sobonfu’s stories about being a woman in Africa and having to walk 10-20 miles everyday for water motivated students to begin Walking for Water and host the first ever walk event. The first walk raised over $65,000 which was enough to build 5 wells. Since then, Walking for Water has built 37 wells in India and Africa, giving over 37,000 people access to clean water. 

During the annual walk that takes place, participants will aim to walk 20 miles over the course of two weeks, which is the same distance that women and children need to walk to get to water every day. Along with walking, participants will also be able to take part in a silent auction. This year’s east coast walk will take place on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at Morven Park. To support and join in on this year’s walk you can sponsor a participant in the walk, donate, or participate in the walk yourself! If you are unable to attend the live walk, you can walk virtually from anywhere in the world.

Because we are celebrating 20 years of Walking for Water this year, we want to make it the biggest walk yet! This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved in the community, as well as give support to people around the world.

If you are interested in joining this year’s walk, or if you want to learn more about the organization, visit www.wisdomspring.org