Fourth graders at Galesburg’s Nielsen Elementary School have been learning lessons in how to give by raising money to make sure African youth have access to disease free, or clean water.
“The original goal was to have the kids understand giving their own money, donating a little bit to affect the lives of five, six, or seven people,” said Jack Dippold, Nielsen’s fourth grade teacher.
Students donated a dollar each of their own money to Water Is Life, a not-for-profit making healthy water accessible in places Columbia, Haiti, Kenya, and Ghana.
Dippold matched donated student funds, and the money went to purchase a small number of $10 flute-sized filtration straws large enough to house a charcoal filter and hang around the neck from a colorful string; however, Nielsen fourth graders wanted to do more than give filtration straws that last about a year.
In keeping with their class theme to set their goals as high as possible, Dippold said his personable and enthusiastic fourth graders decided to raise $6900 and donate it to the Water Is Life community well project.
So far the Nielsen fourth graders have collected enough money for one well and have almost raised enough money for a second one. They have been so successful at raising money by making presentations to Galesburg area organizations; they are called “The Little People with Big Hearts.”