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Girl Scout Troop 30859 members at a recent outdoor event Photo provided
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Thirteen girls in Girl Scout Troop 30859 from Sleepy Hollow Elementary School in Orinda, as well as the Jewish Day School in Lafayette spent a year on a "Water Journey" through Girl Scouts, learning how to conserve and respect water. Ksenija Soster Olmer, the vice president of Cambodian Child's Dream Organization Inc., visited with the fourth-grade girls and explained what it is like for girls in developing countries to have to bring water to their families, and how much a well can help a family in Cambodia. The girls raised $250 through their cookie sales, which covered the cost to construct a well for one Cambodian family.
"They learned a great deal about how lucky we are to have sinks that provide us with potable water, and how so many girls in the world must work to collect water for their families while caring for siblings at the same time," said Erica Kain. "As part of this work, they went on a 'water hunt' where they had to seek out safe water sources and carry quantities of water back for their families - along the way they encountered dried-up wells and unsafe water sources before finding fresh water; then they had to carry dolls while carrying buckets in their arms or on their heads, without spilling the water, back to their family."
In addition, the girls gave a presentation about water usage at Sleepy Hollow. "The girls wrote the scripts and created the props all on their own, and they also created posters to put up around school to reinforce the messages in their water conservation skits," said Kain. The messages included: taking shorter showers, identifying and fixing leaks they find, not washing your car in the driveway, not watering your lawn during the hottest part of the day, and turning off the tap when brushing your teeth.
"The girls were very well-informed when they sold the cookies at their booths, proudly explaining their mission," added Kain. "They had previously used their cookie money to help fund a library in Ethiopia, and they are always very excited to tell others about them."
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA