GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Two students got the chance of a lifetime to fly to Africa, to build the wells their schools raised money for, but when coronavirus hit it changed their plans.
Clean water, it’s something we may take for granted in the Rogue Valley, but Abby Durant and Ariana Scott know that fresh, clean water isn’t always so easy to come by in other parts of the world. That’s why they got involved in The Thirst Project.
“This very basic idea of giving someone water is pretty revolutionary,” said Durant.
As high schoolers, the 2 Josephine Co. women were chosen earlier this year to visit Eswatini in Africa to help build wells, their leadership club raised money for. They would have left late July 2020, but then COVID-19 hit.
“It would not have been safe for us to go. So I’m very happy with the decision because for the safety of everyone involved it was the right decision,” said Durant.
While their trip is postponed until Summer 2021, that didn’t stop their mission. Durant and Scott kept on fundraising, now they’re raising donations for a third well.
“The real big thing is just really getting the word out there. If you don’t have money to share just spread the word about it,” said Scott.
So as Durant and Scott head on different paths – one to college, the other her senior year of high school. They’re both still planning to keep on educating others about the global water crisis and doing something to make things better. A link for Durrant and Scott’s GoFundMe to help pay for their trip to Africa.
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