Romig Middle School Water Project


by Jessica Gruenling

ANCHORAGE, Ak-- For the third straight year - seventh graders at Romig Middle School are taking part in the water project to help raise money to build wells in Africa.

Could you see yourself giving up your morning coffee or soda at lunch and only drinking tap water for a week?

"It's not easy to just drink water really it does require some sacrifice and we really are kind of in it together. They have different levels of commitment to it. I mean there are kids that won't put milk on their cereal for this week," Sarah Jansen, Romig Middle School Teacher.

Learning about water conservation and the water crisis that affects the whole world from Alaska to Africa, kids and staff a like are now applying it to something meaninful.
"In the us we have a lot of water that we can reuse and reuse again," Olivia Yeager, Romig Middle School Student. 
"Some people in africa or anywhere else have to walk 8 hours just to get water, and we don't we just have to push a button," Manuel Bautista, Romig Middle School Student.  
Money is raised from what is saved from students not using it in the vending machines, any amount donated from staff in the school, and t-shirts sold this year.
"I really want them to understand that we come from a place of privileges and we often don't even realize what those basic privileges are," Jansen.  
The importance of the project is not only to build wells but also to maintain them.