Cecilia's Story
This story is formatted to be read by a Sr. Branch member to an audience of younger girls. It was also submitted to me by Wendy Baker.

My name is_____________ and I'm a Ranger. Did you all brush your teeth this morning? Good- Did you leave the tap running while you brushed?

Let me tell you a story. In Africa, 12 year old Cecilia who lives with her family in a small village gets up every morning at 4:00 a.m. to fetch water for her whole family.

For 4 years now she has been responsible for getting water for the family. Although it is very hard work, in some ways she doesn't mind the chore. She knows that if she didn't get clean drinking water everyday, she and her family would get very sick.

She walks 8 kilometres to a hand pump in a neighbouring village to fill her plastic basin with water. Have you ever carried a big bag of potatoes a long way? The maybe you know how heavy a bucket of water can be!

Cecilia has to carry the water 4 kilometres every day. If you want to know how far 4 kilometres is.... (describe distance in your town, i.e. from school to fire hall.)

She has to balance it carefully on her head as she trudges along. The water is very heavy and weighs 15 kilograms or 33 pounds. She doesn't want to spill any and it takes her two hours to walk home with her heavy burden.

Do you know how much water Cecilia has brought home? About the same amount you have used when you brushed your teeth this morning with the tap running.

We are fortunate that we live in such a great country. let us all be thankful on this Thinking Day when we remember there are others like Cecilia who live such a different life from ours.

Remember Cecilia when you brush your teeth.

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