A Long Walk to Water Chapter 17
Southern Sudan, 2009
Nya's dad asked her "What do you think we are building here?"
Nya wasn't sure and she guessed "Maybe a house? Maybe a barn?"
Nya's father smiled and said "No! It's a school!"
Nya couldn't believe it! Now all of the kids will get to go to school! Even me!
Nya couldn't believe it because before none of the girls were ever allowed to go to school before, but now even the girls were allowed to go. She was so happy.
Sudan and Rochester, New York 2003-2007
Salva was in the hospital in Sudan and walked over to the bed that he said, "Hi, I am your son Salva"
The man didn't recognize him at first because he had not seen his son in so long. But then, eventually Salva's father smiled when he realized it really was his son. He began crying with joy.
It had been almost nineteen years since Salva had seen his father. Salva had so many questions for him.
Salva asked, "where is mother?"
His father said, "She is alive and back in our village"
Salva couldn't believe it he was so happy. He had thought for sure she was dead.
Salva wanted to go back to Sudan, to his family but his father said the war was still going on and that if he went back he would be taken to be a soldier. Salva knew he had to go back to New York.
Salva and his father spent a few days together catching up on all of the things they had missed in each other's lives over the years. Soon, Salva had to go back to America.
On the plane back to New York, Salva thought of his father every minute. He felt sad that he had to leave his family and everything that he knows.
Back in Rochester, Salva began working on a new idea. Salva knew he would need a lot of help and his new parentes Chris and Louise helped him.
As Salva's idea got bigger and bigger more and more people started helping him. Soon, he was presenting his idea to huge audiences of people and they loved it.
Salva was nervous to present his idea. He began his speech by saying, "I am here to talk to you about a project for South Sudan".
A year passed, then two....then three.
Salva had spoken to hundreds of people about his idea to help South Sudan. He spoke in Churches, in schools, and in civic centers. Everytime he found himself losing hope that his organization would succeed Salva would think to himself...
"One step at a time, One problem at a time-just figure out this one problem"
Day by day, solving one problem at a time, Salva moved toward his goal.