Follow-up Story
After coming to Thailand, I learned that it might be impossible for one person to change a big problem or situation, however one person can make a difference.
We weren’t sure if the water bottles would get to the people because aide, in general, was not getting to the people who needed it. But on our last night before leaving, we met with a friend for dinner who makes mission trips inside Burma. She let us know that the water delivery was definitely going to happen. This was awesome news and totally completed my trip. She also let me know personally, that there were other ways my friends back home could get involved with me.
My trip was a success because although I did not change the situation going on in Burma, I did make a small yet important difference in the lives of people. I also found new ways to stay involved for the youth who need our support.
Melody Colliatie, High School Student
Reporting from Bangkok Thailand
24 June 200
Original Post – May 2008
Bringing Clean Water to Burma
by Melody Colliatie, high school student
My mom told me about the need for water in Burma; she also told me how I could help. She told me how by raising just five dollars, one person could receive a water bottle that would provide them with water for up to six months. I thought this was incredible so I took the flyer she gave me to a teacher at school and we made many copies, put them in classrooms and made announcements that tomorrow we would go to all the classrooms for a one time collection. Unfortunately my school wasn’t excited about helping others. My peers and I were stuck on pure hope that we would raise maybe ten dollars.
The result shocked us all; we raised three hundred and eighty dollars in a one hour time span. The only disappointed face was my teachers who wanted to raise a lot more. 
However we helped more people than my expectations held and with that I am now going to get to travel to the Thailand/Burma border and hopefully help face-to-face
NOTE FROM MOM: Alongside Melody’s response to this idea, we circulated the flyer to her National Leadership mentor as well as friends and family who are teachers and/or students. In seven days, this “Youth Helping Youth” initiative shipped 400 Seychelle Water Bottles to the Burma region. Thanks to our friends at Seychelle Environmental Technologies for their generous support, the bottles will provide filtered water in an area that is still in great need from the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.
Linda Brown
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
Dick Parsons, Exec.VP, Carrie, Exec.Adm., Carl Palmer, President & CEO, receive the H2O paper bags of fundraising dollars in support of the Burma water youth initiative. www.seychelle.com
Photo Credit: WIN staff
Carden Academy students help make a difference!
Photo Credit: Ted Mansour
