By Nicole Miller (Board Member & 2026 Water Access Now Delegate)
Visiting the village of Sekoti this past August, on a bustling market day, I experienced a moment that will stay with me forever. Even though school was out for summer break, nearly half of the student body (proudly dressed in their uniforms) gathered to greet us. And to our great delight, members of the PTA and several teachers also gathered to warmly welcome us to the school. Their commitment to the children of the community and their futures was profoundly felt.
Water Access Now's role in funding this borehole was made possible with the support of Eastside Catholic (EC) in Sammamish, WA. During their 2025 Lenten appeal, the students at EC raised $7,000 to fund a clean water borehole for Sekoti Junior High School. Before this well, young girls spent precious time collecting unclean water instead of nourishing their minds. Today, because clean water flows at their school, those girls are in classrooms learning. The impact has been breathtaking: the headmaster shared that attendance has surged, and 100% of their students recently passed their high school entrance exams and qualified for placement. Currently serving 253 students (roughly half of them female), the school is expecting an extraordinary growth of at least 161 new students this fall.
Generous donors also allowed us to leave behind 10 soccer balls complete with pumps and needles, alongside a wealth of composition notebooks and writing supplies, which the children received with smiles.
Incredible generosity reached even further thanks to the law firm Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, which donated four laptops to Jan Kline, WAN co-founder, for the school. The school only recently received an electrical connection and now the students can experience hands-on computer learning; previously learning only in a textbook about how to use a computer.
While major challenges remain, such as dilapidated latrines and severe shortages of desks and chairs, Headmaster Alfred spoke with profound gratitude for how far his students have come. As we placed a sign on the borehole labeling it a "Well of Friendship" between Sekoti, Water Access Now, and Eastside Catholic, it was clear that this clean water, these supplies, and this community are building a truly brilliant future.
