Fifth grader raising money for clean water in South Sudan

Spencer Marcum didn’t just learn about the challenges that face people in South Sudan — he acted to help with them. The fifth-grader decided to raise money to help people in that area have access to clean water after studying them in Christen Sloderbeck’s gifted education class at Edgewood Elementary.

In Spencer’s words, Water for South Sudan, the nonprofit organization he is raising money for “is a great organization that drills wells for people in South Sudan so they don't have to drink the terrible water that kills lots of people.

Spencer created Auburn, University of Alabama, Alabama state, and his personal favorite, a Homewood Patriot designs for note cards and then edited them digitally and printed them to sell. The cards cost $12 for a pack of eight plus the cost of shipping, with all proceeds going to the organization.

Spencer’s original goal to raise $500 and inspire other people to help make a difference. As of April 5, he had upped his goal to $1,000, which he met 11 days later.

To learn more or purchase cards, visit Spencer’s Helping Water For South Sudan Facebook page or waterforsouthsudan.org.