We’re Sydney Peterson and Isabel Birkeland and we’re sophomores at the University of Minnesota. We have long been inspired by H2O for Life who work to activate youth around the U.S. to help fight the global water crisis.

We heard about H2O for Life five years ago when we were babysitting. The kids were telling us about the “Walk for Water” that they participated in at Matoska Elementary. They explained that there are 844 million people who lack access to clean water. 3.4 million people die as a result of water related diseases, making it the leading cause of death around the world. And, 2.3 billion people lack access to sanitation such as latrines and hand-washing stations.

It was so shocking to us that children, especially girls, were forced to leave school in order to walk miles for a source of water, many times contaminated.

We decided then and there that we wanted to be a part of the solution. We wanted to support schools that lack access to clean drinkable water. This is where we got our idea to create a local community Walk for Water. Our walk is currently in its 4th year and has raised over $12,000. We have supported schools in Uganda, Cambodia, and Nigeria.

Since we headed off to college, we wanted to keep the walk alive in the community, so we decided to pass it down to two young philanthropists, Ivory Drush and Lucy Gidinger. This year Lucy and Ivory continued the tradition with the goal of $2,000 for the Malama Primary School in Malawi and Nimo Primary School in Nigeria.

On July 10th, they exceeded their goal and successfully raised $3,880. Their Walk for Water at West Park in White Bear Lake, MN had over 50 participants. Refreshments, cupcakes, and a sparkler celebration were enjoyed in good fun for a great cause.

Thank you for all who support helping children around the world who lack access to a sustainable source of clean water. And a special thank you to the H2O for Life and their wonderful staff for their kindness in encouraging us to help make a difference.

– Submitted by Sydney Peterson