学进去

Addyson is an 8-year-old girl from Kansas. Maurine is a 9-year-old girl from a village called Bartabwa in Kenya. It might not seem as if the girls have much in common, but when they met at a dinner two years ago, in Kansas, they became friends at once.

The dinner was hosted by the group World Vision International. In some parts of the world, people must walk several miles each day to collect water from a stream（小溪） or another water source. Often, the water is polluted. World Vision builds well（井） and rain catchers in these communities.

Addyson was at the dinner because her family supports World Vision. Maurine was there because her village had been without clean water. World Vision solved that by building a water station there. Addyson was influenced by Maurine. “People helped Maurine so she could have clean water, and kids are dying because they don’t have it,” Addyson says. “Addyson says. “I want to help.”

Races are one way World Vision raises money to pay for its water projects. Runners promise to run a race, often a 26-mile marathon or 13-mile half marathon. They ask people to support them by giving away to World Vision.

Addyson decided to run the 2017 Knasas City Half Marathon for World Vision. She’d raised $20,000. She’s the youngest person in World Vision history to raise more than $ 10,000. In 2018, she ran again—and raised $36,000.

Addyson and Maurine still keep in touch. Last year, Maurine returned to the U.S. and they met up in Chicago. But Addyson’s work is not finished. “My purpose is for every kid to have clean water,” she says.