Over 350 students, educators, and Ministry of Education staff marched around the lawn at the BC Legislature Friday morning in participation of the WE Walk for Water event.
WE Walk for Water is an organization that fundraises for clean access to water for women and children around the world.
Friday’s participants carried jugs of water and did a minimum of 10 laps — or five kilometres — around the lawn to represent the average distance that millions of women and children walk to fetch their daily water, which is often contaminated.
At legislature hundreds of school children participate in the WE walk for water #yyj pic.twitter.com/S7x8TuTE4X
— Victoria News (@VictoriaNews) April 27, 2018
Minister of Education Rob Fleming was at the event and led the inital lap. Several members of his Ministry showed their support because globally, the task of fetching water keeps women and children from recieving an education.
The organization is trying to get 50 thousand people to donate $25 dollars for the cause.
“Twenty-five dollars gives one person access to clean water for life,” said Maureen Dockendorf , who works for the Ministry of Education and WE Schools.
She said that this funding allows for communities to choose which system is best for accessing clean water, including methods such as the construction of pipe systems or wells.
“This is always a hand up, not a hand out, so WE doesn’t make the decisions and to me that’s really important,” said Dockendorf.
For more information about the organization you can visit WE.org
