In Rwanda, having access to clean water is practically a dream. One student traveled to Africa earlier this school year to do his part to try to make that dream a reality.

Witt and his father participated in a non-profit organization called Rwandans4Water (R4W), whose mission is to improve people’s health in Rwanda by building water wells to provide clean water for the residents.

“I just felt compelled to help people because you see American poverty and it’s just so much deeper than that in Africa,” senior Greyson Witt said. “These people are just missing basic life necessities that you need.”

Witt’s father discovered R4W through one of his employees, Jared Steedley.

“Jared Steedly was searching for some ways that we could give back because my dad wanted to open up a philanthropy part of his company, he found R4W and they just had a real basic website,” Witt said.

Witt, his father, Steedly and another volunteer name Travis, traveled to Rwanda Sept. 28- Sept. 8 and built two new wells for the residents.

“I just felt like I needed to help them,” Witt said. “I think we’ll go back maybe one or two years later and drill some more wells.”