Gladstone students raise funds for well in remote village

Students at Gladstone Public School in Cornwall have raised funds for a new well in India through a partnership with international aid agency SOPAR.

PHOTO CREDIT - UCDSB

Cornwall - Apr. 20, 2011 - Students at Gladstone Public School in Cornwall are making a difference half a world away.

The students have helped fund their second well in India through a partnership with the international aid agency SOPAR.

Donations raised by the school through various fundraisers over the past three years - including the recent Canada-India Walk for Water event - have raised $2,500 which will fund a total of three such projects in India.

The initiative was started by Grade 5 teacher Alok Bhatia, and support for the project has since spread through the school.

The most recent project is a well in Vadala, India which was paid for by Gladstone students and now bears a plaque with the school’s name. The well is used daily by more than 150 people and will prevent sickness by providing clean water and improving hygiene in the village.

Gladstone Vice-Principal Joe Harty said students are thrilled by the installation, which allows them to see concrete results from their fundraising efforts and teaches them important life lessons.

"We’re using real-life events to try to broaden our students' perspective on the world beyond the boundaries of Cornwall," said Harty. "We’re trying to give them an understanding that we all fit into a wider global village and these fundraisers also fit in with our Character Education program, teaching our students respect for others and empathy to meet the needs of others.”