Pupils at Guernsey’s two Catholic primary schools have raised enough money to buy four wells for communities in Tanzania.
As part of their Lenten fundraising, children at St Mary and St Michael and Notre Dame du Rosaire primaries carried out sponsored walks to raise money for The Eleanor Foundation – a Guernsey based charity which provides clean water and supports school communities in the East African country.
The pupils from St Mary and St Michael walked from their school at Rue des Monts to Bordeaux and back earlier this week, while Notre Dame’s pupils yesterday walked from their school in town to Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church at Rue des Monts for a joint end of term Mass.
Together they’ve all raised £5,220, with an anonymous donor taking the total to £7,830.
That is enough money to fully fund four wells, and a third of the way to a fifth.
The children have been learning about John the Baptist and the importance of water during Lent.
The schools said the children have been exploring how water is a sign of new life, cleansing, and belonging in faith.
The children have been taught that many families around the world do not have access to clean, safe water as we do.
In response to this, both schools chose to support The Eleanor Foundation with its work in Tanzania.
The ‘Walking for Water’ events were intended to reflect the daily journeys many other children must make simply to collect water for their families from wells miles away from their homes.
Allister Carey, for the Eleanor Foundation, spoke with the children from both schools during Lent to explain to them why clean water is so important.
He told them their sponsored ‘Walking for Water’ events will make a big difference to the lives of children and their families living in a remote village in north west Tanzania.
As well as the sponsorship money raised by the pupils, an anonymous donor contributed to the total amount raised, bringing the total to almost £8,000.
The schools’ shared giving.gg page remains open with Lent continuing for another week.