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“I was just 11 years old when I was forced to flee my village. I became one of 17,000 “Lost Boys” of Sudan, who fled the country’s southern region during Sudan’s two-decade civil war,” says Water for South Sudan (WFSS) founder Salva Dut. At age 16, Salva led 1,500 Lost Boys from Ethiopia to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where they lived for several years. In 1996, Salva was given the opportunity to come to the U.S., arriving in Rochester, NY, with little grasp on the language, no formal education, but a determination to make a living for himself. When he learned his father was gravely ill, he traveled back to southern Sudan to reunite with him. “In 2002, I returned to Sudan to visit my father and learned he was suffering from a waterborne disease,” Salva recalls. “It gave me a goal. I came back to the U.S. and founded Water for South Sudan, Inc. in Rochester, NY.” His immediate plan was to drill a well for his father’s village, so he began by mobilizing a committed group of Rochesterians and established a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2003. By 2005, they were able to drill the well in his father’s village—but they knew their work was far from done. More than 5.1 million people in South Sudan live without clean water. South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011 after fighting the longest and deadliest civil war in Africa. With firearms left in the hands of civilians, tribes fight over grazing lands, water points, and cattle-raiding adding to the country’s struggles. Still the world’s youngest country, South Sudan lacks a stable government and basic infrastructure, preventing stable communities and economic growth. This leads to village residents being displaced and forced to live in poor conditions. WFSS realized a desperate need for clean water in southern Sudan and continued to raise money to grow the organization. Since 2005, WFSS has drilled 505 wells, serving more than 350,000 people. Before WFSS drills a well, these isolated villages often only have access to contaminated water sources. WFSS works with local governments and community leaders to determine the placement of wells. The goal is to create sustainable systems, incorporating well maintenance and training as part of the well installation so that when the time comes, the well can be turned over to the community upon completion. Clean water saves lives, and access to it means communities can improve their overall health, education, and economy. Girls can go to school and women have more opportunities. Through the support of donors worldwide, WFSS can continue to grow and save lives in vulnerable communities. Help water the seeds of change by sponsoring a well or donating to transform lives in South Sudan.