05/18/2026
Mrs. Bingham's Sixth Grade English Students at Hughes Middle School recently read the book "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park, which is the true story of Salva Dut, a boy from Sudan, where in 1985 civil war was raging, forcing thousands of young boys to flee the country, finding refuge first in Ethiopia and then Kenya. Some, including Salva were eventually adopted in the US. 19 years later, after finding out that his father was still alive, but gravely ill, he returned to his country and discovered that water-borne illnesses had ravaged his loved ones. He vowed to make a difference and eventually formed the non-profit Water for South Sudan, which drills water wells in communities, saving lives and greatly improving the quality of those lives.
After reading the book, the class spent a day talking about the importance of clean water in our lives and learned how fortunate we are to live in a place where plentiful, clean water is not a worry. They then designed posters to display in the VVWD office during Drinking Water Week! They did an amazing job and hopefully will remember not to take this precious resource for granted.
