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Water is something many of us use every day without a second thought. But for millions of children around the world, obtaining clean water requires hours of physical effort. On October 8 and 9, Good Neighbours Canada took part in the Durham Children’s Watershed Festival, connecting with approximately 347 students to raise awareness about global water security and the daily challenges facing communities in need.
At the heart of our educational activity was the story of Echik, a young girl living in Indonesia. Every morning, Echik walks several kilometers to fetch water for her family – a journey that can take children in some regions up to four hours a day. Worse still, these distant water sources are frequently contaminated, putting entire communities at risk of preventable waterborne illnesses.
To help students understand her reality, we hosted an interactive water-carrying challenge. Students tried carrying large buckets of water to gain a small, hands-on glimpse into the physical challenge Echik faces every day.
Following the activity, students wrote and drew messages of hope and encouragement for Echik. The challenge sparked incredible curiosity and empathy, inspiring surrounding groups of students to join in and start thoughtful conversations about the importance of clean, accessible water.
The Durham event capped off an impactful season of youth outreach for our team. Building on our visits to the 2026 Niagara, Peel, and Hamilton Children’s Water Festivals earlier this year – as well as our participation in the 2025 Niagara and Peel Children’s Water Festivals – GNCA has now engaged approximately 1,700 students across four festivals this year alone.
Through hands-on storytelling and experiential learning, we aim to inspire the next generation of globally-aware citizens.
Echik’s story was the focus of our 2025 Hope Letter Campaign – a global initiative that aims to empower young Canadians to become empathetic global leaders committed to human rights. There’s still time to get involved in our 2026 Hope Letter Campaign, which is wrapping up at the end of November!
Access to clean water changes everything for a child – it improves health, keeps kids in school, and transforms communities.
To learn more about how Good Neighbours Canada supports sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives around the globe and join our mission to bring clean water to rural communities like Echik’s.
