In early April, a wonderful thing happened. We received an email from Sean Kelly, a teacher at the Fudan International School in Shanghai, explaining that he was planning a Walk for Water with his elementary students in order to donate funds to Amman Imman. We were excited by his email, and, of course, we were happy to provide any assistance necessary to help them raise money for the people of the Azawak.

Sean kept us informed about the many interesting fundraisers that the children and their parents participated in, such as a rummage sale, a raffle, a water balloon toss, a pie walk, a limbo, and a slippery melon race (where students and parents did a relay with a watermelon covered in oil). There was even an activity called “slime the teacher,” where children voted with tickets on a teacher they wished to slime, in true Nickelodeon fashion! 

Through all of these fun activities, Sean Kelly and the Fudan International School elementary students raised $1,945 during their Walk for Water, even though it rained the whole time! The care and perseverance that the children and their parents demonstrated by sticking it out through the bad weather is astounding. Perhaps they knew that they were blessed to have a little bit of rain as opposed to no water at all.

The Walk for Water held by FIS was a huge success, and what’s more is that it has confirmed that our mission at Amman Imman reaches beyond our own borders here in the United States and that of the Azawak region. At the Fudan International School, its students are encouraged to be global citizens -- students who desire to help and change the world both locally and globally. It seems that, with the help of Sean Kelly and Amman Imman, these students are learning about the struggles and cultural differences of their brothers and sisters on different continents, and truly want to make a change for the better.

The money raised by the Fudan International School will help Amman Imman in its mission to bring water, food, and economic stability through multiple strategies to the people of West Africa. 

Thank you, Sean Kelly and students 

of the Fudan International School! 

Your support is endlessly appreciated 

and will help us make a difference!

Contributed by Tina Burchette, Amman Imman intern

You are our inspiration!  

Dear Wells of Love students, teachers and parents,

I have been hearing about all your wonderful help, as you’ve joined us on our adventure to help our friends in the Azawak this school year.  Thank you so very much! 

You are our ongoing inspiration as we bring food, water, and all sorts of life improving activities to Tangarwashane, Kijigari, Couloubade, and Ebagueye. I’ve included some photos at the end of this letter so that you can see for yourself how beautiful Soutout, Hassi, and Mariama have become since we built them their Tangarwashane borehole seven years ago.  And look how Sadouan and Alhassan’s family has grown!

Couloubade food bank, 2014

Denis and I have recently returned from Niger.

And although we did not build a borehole this time around, we did accomplish many things while we were there. This year, we brought food help to all the families of Tangarwashane and Couloubade. 

Even though they have plenty of water, they still have trouble having enough food.  They started off so poor, that it’s going to take many years of us working with them to help them out of their poverty, to the point where they can have enough food to eat thanks to their own hard work. We’ve created cereal banks that should continue to grow over the years, to help provide food on an ongoing basis.

In Ebagueye, we started a sewing cooperative for the women.  

Over thirty women (and two

Ebagueye woman making
children's clothes, 2014

men, because we couldn’t leave them out) joined, and are learning how to make clothes, pillow cases, and all sorts of things for their families, and to sell.  

We also built them a building to store the grain for their ongoing cereal bank which we created last year.  They also began children and women’s gardens, where they hope to grow potatoes, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, watermelon, and other yummy vegetables. 

We also planted mango, papaya, and other fruit bearing trees, including a fruit called the “desert apple”.  

These activities are a part of the Ebagueye’s woman’s cooperative, launched last year when we helped them with materials so that they could make more crafts, such as their beautiful leather bags and tassels.

Ebagueye women and girls getting grain milled, 2014

We brought grain mills to Ebagueye and Couloubade, to turn their grain into flour.  

The women and girls used to spend over two and a half hours pounding their grain every single day!  Now, all they have to do is take their grain to the miller, and in less than a half hour, they can prepare a nice meal for their entire family. 

Ebagueye woman receiving goats, 2014

We gave 100 goats to 50 women in both villages.  

Actually, the goats belong to Amman Imman.  The women will be allowed to keep the goat’s babies, and next year will give the goats to another woman in the community.  Goats, and other livestock, are like a bank account for the women.  The goats give them milk for their children.  And when the women need money for clothes, medicine, or for any other reason, they can sell their goat and use the money for whatever they need.

Couloubade children in front of their new classroom, 2014

Setting up the Couloubade boutique, 2014

We built a school room in Couloubade, and the children are very eager to begin classes in their new classroom.  

Like we did in Ebagueye last year, we built Couloubade a community store, so that they can have goods to purchase nearby.  They particularly like buying rice, macaroni, and shoes!  

The mosquito nets that we bought for Ebagueye last year did such a great job reducing malaria

Mosquito net distribution, 2014

among the community, that we bought 400 more mosquito nets for Couloubade. We know that this will make a huge difference in their lives, as malaria is the cause of much sickness and death in the community.

We are also teaching the men and women how to read and count.  

Indeed, they were not lucky enough to go to school as children, and are now learning the basics so that they can better manage their borehole, their store, and other activities that we do with them.

Finally, we bought school books and supplies for the schools in each of our communities. 

And we are training a few men from the communities to become professional mechanics.  Like this, they can know how to repair their boreholes whenever there is a mechanical problem.

Water searchers arriving in Ebagueye to get water from the borehole, 2014

We are planning to build a borehole in a new community in the Fall.  

I hope you can be a part of making this happen and bringing water to yet a new community of over 25,000 people and animals.

We are ever grateful!  You are a true hero for the children of the Azawak!!

Thank you, and have a wonderful summer!

Ariane

Some of our friends in Tangarwashane, then and now

Soutout going to fetch water at the marsh,

Tangarwashane 2005 before the borehole

Soutout, Tangarwashane 2007

Soutout with her cousin, Tangarwashane 2014

Spoon Game with Hassi (back) and her sister, Tangarwashane 2005

Mariama, Tangarwashane 2007

Mariama (front) with Anahou at the

Tangarwashane borehole, 2009

Mariama and Hassi, Tangarwashane 2014

Alhassan, Sadouan and their children, Tangarwashane 2005

Alhassan, Sadouan and their children, Tangarwashane 2014

Students raised $643
for the Azawak!

Jennifer Davey has opened the door to Africa for students at three schools by giving them an opportunity to participate in Amman Imman's projects in the Azawak. 

This year, she brought Amman Imman to students at St. Paul's Episcopal Montessori School in San Antonio, Texas where she is head of school. 

"I love it!" she says. "It is a great service project that speaks to the hearts of children."

Students researched Amman Imman and the Azawak.

While students can't visit the Azawak, they can start their own campaigns that bring to light the struggles affecting a half-million people in this water-scarce region. They can inform their community from a compassionate perspective, and discover the power of working together. 

They can raise money for Amman Imman that will go a long way in bringing permanent sources of clean water, and supporting life-sustaining activities such as education, health, sanitation, women's empowerment and economic development for people who have no where else to turn.

Jennifer understands that connecting children to global issues for which they can take action can broaden a student's perspective, and empower them as social activists. Hearing stories describing the struggles for water of children in the Azawak -- children much like them although living in a far away land under very different circumstances -- profoundly connects them in a personal way. After all, everyone needs water!

Older students teach about the Azawak to younger students

As part of their study of Africa, St. Paul Episcopal Montessori School elementary-aged students researched the water-scarce conditions affecting the Azawak region and learned about the nomadic populations, gaining an appreciation of the people and their cultures.  

They exercised their public speaking and teaching skills by sharing the Amman Imman presentation with younger students. As a culmination of their study and service, and as an expression of their hearts, they took up a penny collection, engaging the entire school in raising $643.42 for the Azawak, in place of exchanging Valentine's cards and gifts,

That's a whole lot of pennies, and a whole lot of heart exchange right there!

St. Paul Episcopal Montessori elementary students proudly show their work.

Jennifer Davey has been a Montessori educator for over 23 years. Stay in touch with her through Jennifer's Education Blog.