A Long Walk to Water facts for kids
A Long Walk to Water is a short novel written by Linda Sue Park and published in 2010. It tells two stories that happen at different times. One is the true story of Salva Dut, a boy from the Dinka tribe in 1985. He was one of the Sudanese Lost Boys. The other is a made-up story about Nya, a young girl from the Nuer tribe in 2008. Linda Sue Park wrote this book to help Salva Dut's group, Water for South Sudan.
Main Characters
Salva Dut's Journey
Salva Dut was separated from his family during a big conflict in what is now South Sudan. He had to walk for many weeks. He hoped to find his family again one day. Salva also struggled to find food and water. He had to avoid dangers like rebels and wild animals.
Salva later led about 1,500 other "Lost Boys" to a safe camp near the Gilo River. Many people died on this journey, including his uncle and some friends. After seven years, he arrived in America. He lived with a family in Rochester, New York. Years later, he found his father. His father told him that most of his family had survived. Because of this, Salva started a group called "Water for South Sudan." This group builds wells to bring clean water to people in South Sudan.
Nya's Daily Life
Nya is an 11-year-old girl who lives in South Sudan in 2008. Every day, she walks for eight hours to get water from a pond. Her family's home is far from the pond. She walks there twice a day to get water for her parents and younger sister, Akeer. Her mother takes care of her little brother at home.
During the story, Nya's sister, Akeer, gets sick. They learn that the water they drink is not clean. Later, in 2009, a well is built in Nya's village. This means she no longer has to walk so far. She also gets to drink safe water. A school is built next to the well, which makes Nya very happy. At the end of the book, she meets Salva Dut. She was surprised that Salva, who was Dinka, would help her Nuer village.
Water for South Sudan Organization
Water for South Sudan is a group started by Salva Dut. It is a non-profit organization. This means it helps people without trying to make money. The group drills wells to bring clean water to villages in South Sudan.
