Bringing Clean Drinking Water to Kids

One of the leading causes of death among children in Third World countries is unsafe drinking water. According to UNICEF, more than 4,100 children die each day from preventable water-related diseases.

Two close friends, Emmeline George and Mary Cassone, decided they wanted to help on a local level. So, they are spearheading the Wilton chapter of the UNICEF Tap Project, a nationwide campaign aimed at raising money to provide children in developing countries with better access to clean drinking water.

“During World Water Week, March 20-26, restaurants across the country will be asking their patrons to donate $1 or more for tap water they would usually enjoy for free,” explains Emmeline, “because $1 can provide one child with 40 days of clean drinking water.”

Emmeline and Mary, both 16 and sophomores at Wilton High School, have enlisted support from four local pizzerias and two other restaurants, with perhaps a few more to join their list by UNICEF’s Sunday deadline.

“Already confirmed are Village Luncheonette, Wilton Pizza and Pasta, Bon Appetit Café, John’s Best, Toozy Patza Pizza and Tom-E-Toes Restaurant &  Pizza,” Emmeline says. “Piccolo Pizza in Ridgefield will help, too, because the owner lives in Wilton.”

On Saturday, Dina: A Restaurant and Bar joined the group of participating restaurants.

According to Mary, most of these establishments “will send the money to UNICEF directly. But with Bon Appetit, we’re collecting the money.”

This year, all of the funds raised through the UNICEF Tap Project will be directed to two African nations, Togo – officially the Togolese Republic – and the Central African Republic, as well as Vietnam.

The two girls, both members of the Key Club at the high school, began to formulate a plan to assist UNICEF last winter, but discovered it was too late to participate in the 2010 World Water Week. So, they had to wait a year.

“We talked with Mrs. (Linda) Ciliberti, who runs the Key Club, and she thought it would be a great idea,” Emmeline says.

Emmeline’s twin sister, Annabelle, and several of their friends have joined the local UNICEF Tap Water team, too. They’re assisting with recruiting restaurants, making signs to hang up at town, designing flyers to pass out and making announcements at school.

The George-Cassone friendship began at Cider Mill School. “We were in the same fourth grade class when I moved here from Stamford,” Mary says. “We’ve been best friends ever since.”

One basis for their friendship is a mutual desire to help others. “We knew we wanted to work together. We’re really interested in helping others, in doing small things to help out,” Mary says. “We’d like to get involved with even bigger things later on.”

To learn more about UNICEF Tap Project, go online at tapproject.org.