On July 30, a group of former sixth graders from Grant Elementary gathered—not for a typical summer reunion, but to see the results of a class project that reached across continents. The students, now rising seventh graders, received photographs and letters from children in Uganda whose lives had been transformed thanks to the Murray class’s efforts to fund a clean-water well and mosquito netting.

“I gave some money that I earned to help them dig a well,” Dillon Gray said, holding a photo of a Ugandan student with his note attached. “It felt like I did a good thing.”

Dillon Gray received thank you notes from three children in Uganda thanking him for donating to their well. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

The project began earlier this year when the sixth-grade class learned about Africa during social studies week. As part of the unit, they met David Muyanja, a volunteer with Kids Read Utah who immigrated from Uganda. “When Mrs. Frederick realized David was from Uganda, she asked if he would be willing to come back and talk to our students about what life was like in Uganda,” said sixth-grade teacher Liz Visser. “As David shared about his country and the VERY different struggles and challenges their citizens face, this incredible group of children were moved to ask what they could do to help.”

From there, the students launched into action. They organized bake sales, lemonade stands, babysitting gigs, even pooled allowances. Their grassroots campaign raised over $1,500 in just two weeks, enough to fund a well in Mutongo, Uganda, and purchase 83 mosquito nets to prevent malaria.

Visser said watching the students rally was unforgettable. “The number of evenings that I left the school, began my drive home, and saw various groups of students holding up their ‘Help the children of Uganda’ signs left me speechless,” she said. “I couldn’t help but get a lump in my throat as I watched these 11- and 12-year-olds spend their evenings or Saturdays raising money for children they may never have the chance to meet.”

The result of their efforts came swiftly. By the end of April, water was flowing at Grace Place Ministries, a community center in Mutongo, where hundreds now have safe, local access to clean water. The mosquito nets were distributed in Bugweri, helping shield children from malaria, which kills up to 100,000 Ugandan children each year.

“Learning that there was no access to water and that the children in Uganda can’t even sleep at night without worry that a disease-carrying mosquito may bite them was shocking to our students,” Visser said. “By sixth grade, most children are able to begin to see outside of themselves, and learning this information was difficult to comprehend.”

For Kensley West, one of the students involved, the project became personal. “We were learning about Africa during social studies week and David Muyanja spoke on Uganda and what Kids Read does there,” she said. She held up a drawing of a kite, a gift from her “Picture Pal,” a Ugandan student named Nassum. Her mom, Sierra West, said, “This was a great experience to see them fundraise for others.”

Grant Six Grade Teacher Liz Vissar (center row right) and KidsRead David Muyanja are surrounded by children who received personalized notes of thanks from Uganda for helping to donate to dig their well. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

Kids Read Foundation helped bridge the gap between continents by creating a “Picture Pal” exchange. Each Grant student sent a photo and short bio to Uganda. Kids Read Uganda director Preston Peifer later hand-delivered those photos, took matching photos of Ugandan students holding them, and returned them to Utah with thank-you notes in time for International Friendship Day.

“We were gob-smacked.” said Kids Read director Lynda Brown. “It made me cry to realize the impact of our presentation. These kids raised $1,500 in just two weeks—and they did it themselves. They didn’t ask parents for money; they baked, babysat, and even talked about sending shoes and clothes.”

Brown says the impact on both sides was profound: “By letting them participate in this humanitarian project, they learned a valuable lesson on taking care of one another—not only those they know, but children on the other side of the world who are now friends found in a picture on a postcard.”

Visser believes the project will stick with her students for life. “I truly believe that when children are trusted with a task that has a real, purposeful outcome, they will rise to the occasion,” she said. “This group of students are amazing humans. To get the chance to be one of their teachers has been an absolute honor.”

Brown hopes this is only the beginning. “Kids Read Uganda has plans to help rescue at least 12 more communities that need clean water and sleeping nets,” she said. “We’d love to do this project again and hope anyone wishing to experience this amazing ‘feel-good’ project will contact us.”

For the kids at Grant Elementary, that “feel-good” moment is already here. As Dillon Gray looked at his Ugandan “Picture Pal,” he summed it up simply: “It felt like I did a good thing.”

More information can be found online at www.kidsreaduganda.org.