KA ‘WE’ students doubled their expectations
Walking for clean water
Pride and excitement overpowered the Knowlton Academy (KA) student parliamentarians last Friday afternoon when their entire school community took a symbolic walk together after raising over $3,300 that will serve to pay for clean water for 144 girls living in Africa. The students had doubled their own goal during a one-day, nationwide campaign to raise $50,000.
They are engaged, inspired, enthusiastic and determined to make a difference for others. That is what “WE” Schools are all about. Friday’s light spit of rain could not dampen students’ spirits when all 254 of them along with the entire staff of over 30 took the af-
ternoon to take a walk around a large block twice-over signifying their determination to make life for girls living in Africa better. Each older student was assigned a younger one to share and help them on their way. Some opted to simulate the trek by carrying backpacks weighted with the equivalent of a bucket of water on their heads. Others carried them on their shoulders.
It was the trip to Montreal to WE Day that inspired KA’S student parliament to organize the WE walk for clean water drive. “We saw a video that showed seven girls carrying water jugs on their heads. They spend their days toiling over household chores,” explained the co-prime ministers of KA Student Parliament Katrina Burcombe and Ben Mcauley. They learned that when communities have access to clean water, girls can attend school, parents can run sustainable farms, and families can break the cycle of poverty. Families can also avoid contracting illnesses that are waterborne. They and their fellow parliamentarians spoke about the inequity that young girls and women live with because of the time lost from walking while fetching water back to their villages even though it is not necessarily clean. The students were impacted by how they had to toil with so many chores while the boys were able to go to school. “Guys’ scores in school are always higher because they get to school while the girls are left to do all the household chores,” said Mcauley.
Two weeks ago they started the campaign, pitching that $25 gives clean water for life to one girl living in Africa. They were bowled over with the results. “We are all very proud of that,” added the effervescent Burcombe. All nine members declared that they would do it again. Bianca Beaulne mentioned that those who are moving on to Masseyvanier are eager to start a WE Project there because they know what good they can do for their school, community, and the world. They have learned that by doing it together, they can make a difference.
Knowlton Academy is the only school in the Eastern Township Regional School Board that is a certified “WE School” within the “WE Movement.”
Principal Renalee Gore says that these projects are all about perseverance. The students learn so much about each other, working together for a common goal for the good of their communities and the world, sticking to the project until completion. WE (at KA) have done a lot of things this year from WE scare hunger, collecting food for the local food bank as well as preparing Christmas baskets, to walking for water. The school still have one more project that will be to raise funds to support the three young girls in Afghanistan so that they can go to school. “Every student has to do a job at home in order to raise the money for this. Our students even want to have a project to ban plastic straws in Knowlton,” Gore said.
The WE Movement asserts that when “we come together we can create an even better world.” The organization helps to get people involved whether at home, in school, or at work so that positive change in their communities and around the world can be affected.
As for the money that was raised for clean water by the KA WE community, the director of WE Montreal will be coming to Knowlton Academy on June 4 for a special presentation of the cheque.