By Anish Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

The Key Club, with advisor Mr. Boynton, has recently been involved in the Thirst Project, an ambitious project to fundraise money to build wells in Swaziland. The wells will help provide clean drinking water to those who do not have it. To achieve this, the Key Club is turning to the Milford community as well as the Jonathan Law community. Recently, a schoolwide presentation by the Thirst Project was held, and was attended by the mayor as well as several other school officials. Advocate Staff Reporter Anish Sikhinam interviewed Boynton about the project.

Anish Sikhinam: Can you give me a quick overview of the Thirst Project?

Mr. Boynton: The Thirst Project is a project that is sponsored by Key Club International. Basically, they are working with underprivileged countries, such as Swaziland, and they are trying to provide the people of Swaziland with clean water. The country doesn’t have a water system, and the people are actually just drinking filthy rainwater, which has disease in it. What they’re looking to do is get them a way to get clean water.

AS: How did you get in touch with the people who run the Thirst Project?

MB: Actually, they got in touch with us. When we were at the District Convention last April, there was a presentation there. We expressed interest with them, and they contacted us.

AS: What motivated you and the Key Club to work with the Thirst Project specifically?

MB: Key Club is a service organization. We work within the city, the state, the school, and our basic goal is to help people. After the presentation last year – it was a very powerful presentation – we saw a serious need to provide these people with the opportunity to get clean, fresh drinking water. Because they were in such need, we felt that we would like to help these people out.

AS: How has Key Club been doing so far in supporting the Thirst Project?

MB: We started off with a schoolwide assembly, and the students were very generous during it. They put together their spare change and we raised $151. Since then, donations have been coming in slow. We received a $25 donation just yesterday from a former Key Club member who runs his own finance business. He donated $500 through his business. Right now, we’re just getting donations from the outside, but we’re looking into a project in the future which is going to involve the whole school. That will be determined at a future date because before we announce that we have to talk with the administration.

AS: What is your ultimate goal in supporting the Thirst Project?

MB: The main goal is to build a well, and we need to raise $12,000 for this. $12,000 will get them a full-fledged, working well which will provide a whole community or village with clean drinking water. Our goal is to get clean drinking water to the people living in a village in Swaziland.