School expanding clean-water effort

Selling bottled water began as a class project for students at Portola Elementary School to help others.

More than 40,000 water bottles sold later — with the help of some children at schools nationwide — the children helped buy two play pumps. The device pumps fresh water using energy produced when children play on a merry-go-round. Yesterday, the San Bruno children participated in a video conference with the partnering youth to learn their efforts resulted in the purchase of a second water pump to be placed in Malawi in Africa. Everyone took part in an apple cider toast to celebrate the achievement.

The plan began over a year ago when fourth-grade teacher Julie Calleja brought a six-minute video about the water shortage to her Portola class looking for a book topic. A solution to the water problem was play pumps — a device that pumps fresh water using energy produced when children play on a merry-go-round. Getting involved led to a bottled water fundraiser in which the students created their own label for spring water leading to the purchase of two pumps.

San Bruno students raised money through the sales of "Water for Life.” The students originally partnered with two other schools — Naubuc Elementary in Glastonbury, Conn. and The Academy in Iowa. In January, the children were recognized for achieving the goal of installing a pump. The news inspired other children to join. Now kids from Pennsylvania, New York and Chicago joined the cause.

In January, 12-year-old Talia Leman, the CEO and a founder of "RandomKid,” recognized the philanthropic efforts of the 20 students by inducting the students into the RandomKid National RandomRockstar Hall of Fame. It was at that time children saw video of the first pump installed for Masana Primary School in South Africa, which was installed last year.

The idea came up during 2007 when Calleja’s then fourth-grade class — which are now in sixth grade — learned that one child dies every eight seconds without access to healthy water. It decided to do something about it — sell water to raise money allowing others to have clean water.

Students also learned that gathering water tends to be considered women’s work. Many girls spend three to six hours a day collecting water, leaving little or no time for an education. A solution, created by Trevor Field, was the play pump which can provide 2,500 people water for up to 10 years with a $14,000 price tag.

Field also suggested the children contact RandomKid — an organization that helps kids take their ideas to another level to make a difference.

Before long, the students had found a San Martin vendor, Private Spring Water, that helps bottle custom-labeled water such as the "Water for Life.” The company began helping with the project by donating the shipping. It continues to support the school-wide effort.

Calleja’s students designed the water logo and is still selling water for the cause.

For more information visit www.randomkid.org/water.asp or e-mail the students at projectplaypump@yahoo.com. To purchase water call Portola Elementary at 624-3175.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.