Fifteen-year-old JSerra Catholic High School freshman Gianna Carlile has always had a heart for serving others. Since the age of 8, she has been giving of her time and energy to support Wells of Life, a Christian nonprofit organization that provides access to safe and clean water for the people of rural Uganda.
FUNDS RAISED BY GIANNA CARLILE PROVIDES CLEAN AND SAFE DRINKING WATER FOR YOUTH IN RURAL UGANDA.
Carlile first discovered Wells of Life seven years ago as part of a Catholic girls’ group through Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano. After hearing Wells of Life Founder Nick Jordan speak, she was moved by the plight of Ugandans and their lack of access to the basic necessity of clean water.
WELLS OF LIFE FOUNDER NICK JORDAN WITH GIANNA CARLILE AT A RECENT WELLS OF LIFE LEGACY GALA.
“I did not know that water wasn’t accessible to them, and I realized that that’s just a basic human right that everyone deserves to have,” said Carlile. “So, I decided to help out in any way that I can.”
Ninety percent of the people of Uganda live in rural communities, with nearly two-thirds of them residing in areas that do not have access to safe and clean water. The Ugandans, mostly teenage girls, need to walk three to four miles a day to reach a water source. And that water is often contaminated, causing sickness and high infant mortality rates.
Additionally, these teenage girls who seek out water give up four to five hours of their time daily, which in turn causes them to miss school and lose their access to education.
Wells of Life has three programs that are used to address these crucial issues – drilling new wells, restoring existing wells and providing education on sanitation and good hygiene practices through the Healthy Village Program.
“You can’t live without water, and by the same token, you cannot live without clean water,” said Wells of Life Operations Manager Jason Roenicke. “And that’s what we see, the devastating effect of something that is very realistic and within our reach to be able to help. So, we say, let’s go drill a well that gives clean water to a thousand people, will transform every single one of their lives and literally save hundreds of lives within each district and community.”
Through their efforts, Wells of Life has impacted more than 1000 communities and provided access to clean water for over one million Ugandans to date. And Carlile has been a significant contributor to this effort, having individually raised more than $50,000, or enough to fund nine wells.
Not too long after hearing about Wells of Life’s vision, the Catholic girls’ group Carlile was a part of disbanded. But that did not stop her from pushing forward to help make a difference. By hosting fundraising sales, speaking at churches and participating in the nonprofit’s annual Run4Water event, Carlile has made it her personal mission to provide sustainable, life-changing assistance to those who need it the most.
“It’s very inspiring to me that other people really care about this, and without them I would not be where I am,” said Carlile. “I really thank the people that have helped me get here. It’s very important for these people to have the water.”
While in high school, Carlile has found classmates who share her passion for helping the people of Uganda through JSerra’s Wells of Life Club, where she serves as vice president. She and her peers’ commitment to serving others challenges the idea that teenagers are only focused on themselves.
“When young people like Gianna participate in efforts with Wells of Life, we often hear about how it influences the community,” said Wells of Life CEO/Executive Director Danny Sells. “It’s tempting to think that teens are self-focused and only interested in cell phones, the latest YouTube star or video games. Gianna, and others like her, remind us that younger generations have great potential to make a big difference in the world, and it inspires hope.”
Both Gianna and students from JSerra will be participating in Wells of Life’s flagship fundraiser, Run4Water, a 1K/5K event on May 20 to raise money for Wells of Life’s Operation Restoration, which is focused on restoring abandoned clean water wells in Africa. The nonprofit’s goal is to raise $240,000, enough to repair 60 broken wells.
The committed work of ambassadors like Carlile is not only inspiring but allows Wells of Life to plan for future growth and will provide the opportunity to provide clean water to thousands of additional people in Uganda. Carlile feels that anyone can step up and help, and that we are all responsible to create our own change.
“I’m inspired by St. Teresa of Calcutta because she helped so many people by starting with small act of kindness,” said Carlile.
“I love her quote that, ‘not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.’”
To help support Gianna Carlile’s efforts in the Run4Water event, visit giannacarlile.com For more information on Wells of Life, visit wellsoflife.org