A Long Walk to Water: A Summary and Main Idea
The book "A Long to Water" by Linda Sue Park is told in different time periods and point of views which eventually merge in 2009.
Nya was a 11 year old girl (in 2008) who had to walk eight hours round trip to a pond twice a day to get water with a small container. That was the only water she and her family could drink and cook with. The water was a dirty brown color and often had mud in it. Nya didn't attend school like boys did. When she wasn't walking for water, she would have time to sit on her porch and eat boiled sorghum meal (like oatmeal) and drink a few sips of milk. Nya walked for water to keep her family alive. Over time, life got a little easier for Nya when a well was being built in her refugee camp during dry season. But by who?
Salva Dut Ariik was 11 years old (in 1985) when he fled into a bush by his school. Another war was raging and it was spreading throughout Salva's village, Loun Ariik. He had to run away from his home, family, and old life. Salva grew up moving around Sudan. Walking for miles everyday. Salva followed tribes when he was young. As a teenager, he lead more than 1,200 "lost boys" to a Kenya refugee camp after his Uncle was shot by desperate men in Ethiopia. When he finally reached the Kakuma refugee camp, it was dreadful. Wind and desert is all he could see for miles. He was eventually relocated to the Ifo refugee camp, which is not much better than Kakuma. Although, the people were nice. An Italian aid worker named Michael taught Salva how to read, write, and play volleyball. After years of living in the refugee camp, Salva was chosen (because he was healthy and an orphan) to live in Rochester, New York. Six years after he started a new life in America, Salva found out (by email from his cousin) that his father was in a Zimbabwe refugee camp and had stomach surgery because of the mucky water he was drinking. Salva was overjoyed to see his father after making long flights and plans for weeks. His mother, sisters, and brother survived the war. Salva's oldest brother, Ariik, and youngest, Kuol had died. After the long visit with his father, Salva came up with the idea to start a water for Sudan project. It took years, but Salva finally founded the non-profit "Water for South Sudan" organization to drill wells all around south Sudan, starting in his village, Loun Ariik. He spoke publicly about the cause and received donations, prayers, and people's time. It took alot of hard work but Salva made his sudden dream a success.
Salva and Nya met when Salva was drilling a well in Nya's refugee camp. In the end, when the well was beginning to finish, a school was built and Nya could attend! No one would have to walk for water anymore. Sure, both Nya and Salva remember their past life, but started a new one for the best!
The main idea of this book is to keep moving forward when the going gets tough. Salva endured physical and emotional pain when he walked from each refugee camp, thinking of his "what he thought to be lost" family. Nya walked and waited for water each day, while she watched the well and school being built. She built up anticipation and hope for these new, great things being added to her life. If you keep moving forward and look towards the future instead of being stuck in the past, you'll accomplish things you never knew you were capable of like going to school or drilling wells for tribes in south Sudan!
Nya was a 11 year old girl (in 2008) who had to walk eight hours round trip to a pond twice a day to get water with a small container. That was the only water she and her family could drink and cook with. The water was a dirty brown color and often had mud in it. Nya didn't attend school like boys did. When she wasn't walking for water, she would have time to sit on her porch and eat boiled sorghum meal (like oatmeal) and drink a few sips of milk. Nya walked for water to keep her family alive. Over time, life got a little easier for Nya when a well was being built in her refugee camp during dry season. But by who?
Salva Dut Ariik was 11 years old (in 1985) when he fled into a bush by his school. Another war was raging and it was spreading throughout Salva's village, Loun Ariik. He had to run away from his home, family, and old life. Salva grew up moving around Sudan. Walking for miles everyday. Salva followed tribes when he was young. As a teenager, he lead more than 1,200 "lost boys" to a Kenya refugee camp after his Uncle was shot by desperate men in Ethiopia. When he finally reached the Kakuma refugee camp, it was dreadful. Wind and desert is all he could see for miles. He was eventually relocated to the Ifo refugee camp, which is not much better than Kakuma. Although, the people were nice. An Italian aid worker named Michael taught Salva how to read, write, and play volleyball. After years of living in the refugee camp, Salva was chosen (because he was healthy and an orphan) to live in Rochester, New York. Six years after he started a new life in America, Salva found out (by email from his cousin) that his father was in a Zimbabwe refugee camp and had stomach surgery because of the mucky water he was drinking. Salva was overjoyed to see his father after making long flights and plans for weeks. His mother, sisters, and brother survived the war. Salva's oldest brother, Ariik, and youngest, Kuol had died. After the long visit with his father, Salva came up with the idea to start a water for Sudan project. It took years, but Salva finally founded the non-profit "Water for South Sudan" organization to drill wells all around south Sudan, starting in his village, Loun Ariik. He spoke publicly about the cause and received donations, prayers, and people's time. It took alot of hard work but Salva made his sudden dream a success.
Salva and Nya met when Salva was drilling a well in Nya's refugee camp. In the end, when the well was beginning to finish, a school was built and Nya could attend! No one would have to walk for water anymore. Sure, both Nya and Salva remember their past life, but started a new one for the best!
The main idea of this book is to keep moving forward when the going gets tough. Salva endured physical and emotional pain when he walked from each refugee camp, thinking of his "what he thought to be lost" family. Nya walked and waited for water each day, while she watched the well and school being built. She built up anticipation and hope for these new, great things being added to her life. If you keep moving forward and look towards the future instead of being stuck in the past, you'll accomplish things you never knew you were capable of like going to school or drilling wells for tribes in south Sudan!
| Lives are being changed because of the wells. |
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