April 2017
By Lori Ward St. Vincent
For the past two years, sixth grade students at Immanuel Lutheran School, Batavia, Illinois, have been holding bake sale—what they call Sweets for Sudan. Homemade and purchased treats (including gluten-free) are sold for one dollar each during lunch on the third Thursday of each month over the school year.
Sweets for Sudan got started after middle school teacher Julie McFarland’s class read A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Parks, which is written in parallel form. One story is a nonfiction account of the challenges facing 11-year-old Salva Dut, a “Lost Boy of Sudan.” The parallel is a fictional story about Nya, also 11, who has to walk eight hours a day to get water for her family.
Salva fled to Ethiopia and eventually led 1,500 Lost Boys hundreds of miles through the South Sudan desert to a refugee camp in Kenya. In 1996, he was relocated to the United States where he began his development of Water for South Sudan in 2003.
“My students were very moved by these stories and wanted to help. We brainstormed and realized that the best way for us to help was to have a monthly bake sale,” said McFarland.
The money collected is sent to Water for South Sudan. The nonprofit has drilled more than 270 borehole wells to serve hundreds of thousands of people since 2003.
Keri and Bella, part of the original class that started this, said, “It feels good to know we made a difference in the world and helped people in need.”
Addie, a current sixth grader, added, “I feel honored to help people find clean water. When I think about where the money is going, I think to myself, ‘I might’ve helped someone not to die!’”
Villagers whose community will benefit from the new well become partners in the process and provide labor in all aspects of drilling. Once completed, Water for South Sudan trains the well managers and provides spare parts.
Each $500 donation provides clean water for 50 people every day in a South Sudan village. So far, Sweets for Sudan bake sales have earned more than $2,000, which is now helping more than 200 people in South Sudan have fresh clean water on a daily basis.
Immanuel’s tagline is Developing Today’s Disciples, which is being demonstrated through the efforts of these students to help children and families on the other side of the world.