Left, right, left, right. Pause. An African girl shoulders the burden of retrieving water for her family. On average, a female in Africa walks 30 minutes to a water source, waits in line, fills up a bucket and balances it on her head as she trudges back. Left, right, left, right. Pause.
On Monday, more than 20 UF students will shuffle through campus with canary yellow buckets of water teetering on their heads. UF will be one of several college campuses in the nation participating in the Be Hope to Her event next week.
About 50 more people are expected to register as the event approaches. The event is hosted by Nuru, a nonprofit international organization whose name means “light” in Swahili, and its goal is to raise awareness of the need for clean drinking water in Africa.
Nuru also strives to raise funds in support of sustainability projects in Kenya to help keep girls in school. Girls who don’t finish school marry earlier, have more children and are at a greater risk for HIV, according to the organization’s Web site.
The funds raised will benefit the construction of water sources, such as wells, closer to communities to limit the amount of trips females have to make during the day.
By limiting the amount of trips, girls will be able to spend more time in school and, in turn, increase their options in life.
“She needs knowledge. She needs opportunity, and she needs hope,” said a promotional video on Nuru’s Web site. “Be hope to her.”
Although the event has been occurring nationally for several years, it is the first time UF is participating.
Jenn Jeske, a 21-year-old UF student and liaison to Nuru, was inspired last semester by her pastor to promote awareness and bring the event to her campus.
“It is my personal belief that God has called us to do what we can to help the poor and needy,” she said. “I can do that through this organization.”
Jeske and five other students began planning the event in February. During their weekly meetings, they have discussed funding issues.
On Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., they will have a fundraiser at Pazza Bistro. The proceeds will be donated to Nuru.
In addition to fundraising, the event also calls for an $8 registration fee, which pays for the shipping cost of supplies, such as buckets and water.
On Monday, participants will begin their journey on the Plaza of the Americas.
They will then trek through Turlington and Reitz Union until they reach a pile of yellow buckets next to an inflatable pool in the Tolbert area. They will fill the 5-gallon buckets with the water in the pool and go back to the Plaza of the Americas.
Twenty students have registered on the organization’s Web site, www.nuruinternational.org. However, the planning team hopes to have 50 people by Monday.
Cari Walker, a 20-year-old UF student on the planning team, hopes the arduous process will inspire students to donate to Nuru’s cause.
“It will literally let us walk in their shoes,” she said. “And we will be able to see how much those shoes hurt.”
