A Grade 5 student drank dirty water through a straw at the last school board meeting, to demonstrate a student fundraiser.
Luckily it was a LifeStraw, a water purification system that filters the water and makes it safe to drink. Grade 4 and 5 students from Qualicum Beach Elementary School gave the engaging presentation.
“Inside the Lifestraw there is a water filter and it’s special because it has really teeny tiny rocks and when it filters through, all the bacteria and water-borne diseases are caught between the filter and the teeny rocks,” said Jordyn Burton-Profitt.
The students raised enough money to purchase 110 of the straws to send to Haiti and Africa, which can prevent diseases like cholera, typhoid, polio.
Burton-Profitt demonstrated how the straw works by sucking up dirty water through it, receiving oohs and ahhs from the audience at the meeting.
The straw filters a maxiumum of 1,000 litres of water, enough for one person for one year. The students hope to purchase 200 straws, enough to provide one for each person in a small village.
To donate to the project contact the Qualicum Beach Elementary School by calling 250-752-6989.