MAPLEWOOD, NJ — There are a lot of things a 13-year-old girl could request for a birthday present, but for Maplewood Middle School seventh-graders Anna Paul and Liv Knutsen, there was only one thing they wanted: donation money to help construct a well that would provide clean drinking water for those in need as part of their fundraising efforts for a club they had started at the middle school.
During the 2014-2015 school year, Anna and Liv participated in a YouthNet-sponsored afterschool program advised by Colleen Miller, a language arts and social studies teacher at the school. Though the club’s original composition of students ended with the school year, Miller said she was pleasantly surprised when the two girls returned to her in the fall looking to continue the work of the previous year.
“YouthNet requires 10 students to be in a club in order for them to sponsor it, and since we only had Liv and Anna, they decided to continue the work on their own,” Miller said in a recent phone interview with the News-Record.
The girls did research regarding the various global issues currently impacting the world, and they quickly became passionate about researching the global water crisis. After many hours of research, they decided they wanted to do something to make a difference.
“The idea to name our club the ‘Blue Nile Club’ came one day when my dad was helping us with research, and we saw that the Nile River runs through much of Africa,” Anna said in a recent interview with the News-Record. “At first we were focused mostly on Ethiopia, but then we realized that the water problem extends to a lot of areas besides that one.”
Liv and Anna researched various methods to help those in need, ultimately realizing that they could do the most good and make the greatest impact by helping to build a well. They also researched multiple charities, with a special focus on what percentage of the proceeds actually reach those in need. The girls settled on Charity: Water because 100 percent of the proceeds would be allocated to the building of a well in an area of need.
“We started it last year as a small group year and the end of year came and I thought they would be done with it,” Miller said in a recent phone interview with the News-Record. “In September, Liv and Anna came back and had ideas, and I told them to research charities to get the most bang for their buck for the money they raised.”
The two girls started a three-month fundraising campaign with Charity: Water with a goal of raising $10,000, the cost of one well. Their three-month campaign will come to an end June 30.
Anna used her bat mitzvah as a starting point, and both students asked for donations from their family and friends. Liv also used her 13th birthday as an opportunity to ask loved ones to donate to the cause in lieu of gifts. To date, they have exceeded their goal, having raised approximately $14,000, which will provide clean drinking water to more than 300 people. They now hope to make it to $20,000, to double the amount of people benefiting.
Both girls have been diligently researching new ways to raise the additional $6,000 needed to reach their new goal.
“We’ve been sending out emails to friends and family, and sharing on social media,” Liv told the News-Record. “We share on both our personal pages and our parents’ pages so we can reach as many people as possible.”
Anna said they hope their adviser, Miller, or perhaps another teacher in their school will share the info on their social media and inspire others.
Perhaps unbeknownst to them, the girls have already greatly inspired at least one person: their adviser.
“My heart swells knowing I have had the honor to work with such amazing young ladies; I am in awe of their persistence and dedication,” Miller said in a recent email. “I wear my Charity: Water bracelet with pride, knowing that I was simply a bystander who had the distinct honor of witnessing their amazing tenacity regarding this accomplishment.”
To learn more about making a donation to Charity: Water, visit https://donate.charitywater.org/anna-paul-2/annaandlivscampaign.
Photos Courtesy of Colleen Miller
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