It's a long way to Nigeria, but one organization on campus is using its natural resources to reach across the globe.
Herd Around the World, a new campus organization, is selling bottled water to raise money for clean water wells in Lagos, Nigeria.
The water is sold in the Memorial Student Center every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this semester in conjunction with the Rotary Club of West Virginia, Dickson Mushiri Herd Around the World president, said.
"We hope that when students see us in the student center, they will stop and buy our water instead of dropping a dollar into the machine," Dickson said.
The project will help provide more than clean water and healthier lives, Mushiri said.
"Many kids cannot go to school or anything because they have to help get water for their families," Mushiri. "They must go get water from rivers, sometimes walking more than 20 miles, which takes as much as 10 to 15 hours. This fundraising effort is about more than water and raising money. It's about raising awareness."
Proceeds from the sale of the water will go to Water for People, a nonprofit organization started in 1991, Mushiri said.
Water for People is an organization that also not only works in Africa, but in South America, Central America and Asia as well, the organization's Web site said.
Now, the organization is working to provide for people in Bolivia, Honduras, Guatemala, South and Central America, Malawi in Africa, and India , according to the website.
Water for People not only will take on the daunting task of building the wells, but also will work with the people in the Nigerian communities where the wells will be built, teaching them about proper hygiene and sanitation, the organization's Web site said.
Pepsi is working with Herd Around the World, who donated 30 cases of Aquafina bottled water.
The Rotary Club's involvement in the fundraising effort falls under their clean water initiative project.
The Clean Water Initiative Project started in 2005 and has since helped in the launch of 156 low-cost, efficient projects to bring clean water to Bolivia, Malawi, India, and several other countries where clean water is sparse.
Mushiri said clean water is essential to preventing diseases.Diseases contracted from the use of dirty water obtained from rivers and streams include cholera, hepatitis A and E. coli infection, as well as many other rare illnesses, the Web site for the Center for Disease control said.
To help raise awareness of arising problems from dirty drinking water, including cooking, hygiene and washing clothes, Herd Around the World will give short presentations to classes, Mushiri said.
For more information about the contributions made by Water for People, one may visit www.waterforpeople.org. For more information about Herd Around the World, one may request a classroom presentation or to volunteer Mushiri at mushiri1@marshall.edu.
Lindsay A. Bolyard can be contacted at bolyard@marshall.edu.
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