They had only read about him in a book. But on Oct. 11, 2017 more than 300 Rochester-area middle school students actually met former Lost Boy Salva Dut, Monroe Community College (MCC) alumnus, founder of Water for South Sudan, and protagonist of Linda Sue Park’s internationally renowned book, “A Long Walk to Water.” An estimated 15,000 students and teachers—representing 512 schools from 33 states and five countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel and New Zealand—tuned in via live stream video. This is the fourth time MCC Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project (HGHRP) student leaders have hosted “conversation sessions” with Dut and Park, creating an unforgettable learning experience that shows how reading can help change the world. But they weren’t done yet.
Later that same week, MCC’s HGHRP held its 10th annual Walk for Water for South Sudan. The organization that Dut founded has drilled 304 wells in South Sudan to prevent disease and stabilize villages — and lives. However, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese—mostly women and children—still walk for hours daily to access a non-contaminated drinking source. The water they drink is often contaminated with parasites and bacteria and, as a result, disease runs rampant throughout greater East Africa. “The challenge is enormous to those of us who uphold the sanctity of human life and the moral imperative to provide water to the thirsty,” said Dut, who is a member of MCC’s Alumni Hall of Fame. “Fresh water is an absolute requirement for a community’s health. It is a stable developmental platform on which a community can build its future. It is, in short, life.” Since the inception of the annual walk, MCC students have helped raise more than $60,000. Four wells in South Sudan bear MCC’s name.
For additional information on this annual Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Project, please contact Jodi Oriel, director, HGHRP at: 585.292. 2533 or email: [email protected].
CAPTION: Local middle school students flocked around Salva Dut, anxious to meet the person they were first introduced to in Author Linda Sue Park’s award-winning book, “A Long Walk to Water.”
30 Days of Giving 2017:
- Day 1: Shopping with a Smile
- Day 2: Erie Community College Cook-Off for Kidneys
- Day 3: Stony Brook Medicine Helps in Puerto Rico
- Day 4: A Day of Service at Onondaga CC
- Day 5: New Paltz Students Make a Difference
- Day 6: Buffalo State College Dares to Care
- Day 7: Niagara County CC Students Lend A Hand for Thanksgiving
- Day 8: Old Westbury Helps Haiti
- Day 9: A Day of Service at SUNY Potsdam
- Day 10: Helping Animals at Hudson Valley Community College
- Day 11: FIT Students Help the Homeless
- Day 12: Morrisville Athletes Go Local For Service
- Day 13: SUNY Poly Gives Back Throughout the Region
- Day 14: SUNY Oswego Honors Those Battling Ovarian Cancer
- Day 15: Brockport Students Volunteer at Thanksgiving
- Day 16: SUNY ESF Sends Acorns to Action
- Day 17: Doors Open at the Columbia-Greene Community College Giving Closet
- Day 18: Monroe Community College Helps Walk for Water
- Day 19: SUNY Cortland Supports Crop Hunger Walk
- Day 20: Making Music at Farmingdale State to Help the Hungry
- Day 21: Increasing Food Security at Dutchess Community College
- Day 22: Addressing Food Insecurity On and Around SUNY Geneseo
- Day 23: Westchester Community College Plays the UnHunger Games
- Day 24: Binghamton University Builds University Assisted Community Schools
- Day 25: Mohawk Valley Community College Gives Back To Their Community
- Day 26: SUNY Oneonta Students Help Area Children Learn
- Day 27: Rockland Community College Comes Together to Aid Puerto Rico
- Day 28: Empire State College Donates to Caribbean Relief
- Day 29: Schenectady County Community College Students Provide Support to Foster Families
- Day 30: Raising Guiding Eyes at SUNY Delhi