Can you imagine if each day at school you or one of your friends had to climb down a steep, slippery hill with a big bucket to get water from a spring, just so you could get a drink during classes or wash your hands? Struggling back up the hill with the heavy, sloshing bucket could be very dangerous. This is exactly the way life is for some children in the country of Laos. Get a map and find Laos, or ask an adult to help you locate it.
No one should have to risk their lives for a drink of water, but for many children in Laos having a well right in their schoolyard is just a dream. If they are thirsty or need to wash their hands, some kids must go to the town well or run all the way home. Without easily available water for washing and drinking, children become sick more often and miss classes. School is important and learning is fun. Nobody wants to get sick or miss school.
MCC helps Laotian schools drill wells and line them with cement rings to keep the water clean. MCC provides hand pumps so it is easy and safe for kids to get water. The pumps are so easy to operate that most first graders can get water by themselves. But of course it is still more fun to pump water with a friend!
Penny Power raises money for MCC projects of peace, relief and development around the world.