Resilience in Action: Vieja Valley Students Welcome Salva Dut to Celebrate Their Global Impact
Salva Dut speaks to Vieja Valley Elementary students during a school assembly celebrating their Iron Giraffe Challenge win.
Last week, the students of Vieja Valley Elementary proved that the ripples of compassion can reach across continents.
After raising nearly $5,000 last year through a school-wide coin drive, their 6th-grade class (now 7th graders) was selected from more than 300 schools around the world and named the 2025 Iron Giraffe Challenge Grand Prize Winner by Water for South Sudan (WFSS).
The prize? A visit from Salva Dut, whose story of survival and hope inspired the bestselling novel A Long Walk to Water and sparked a global movement for clean water access in South Sudan.
Salva Dut with Vieja Valley Principal Jestin St. Peter and teachers Amanda Olson and Alexa Mannion.
“After reading A Long Walk to Water, our students were so inspired by Salva’s story that they wanted to participate in his organization’s Iron Giraffe Challenge,” said Amanda Olson, Vieja Valley 6th-grade teacher. “They planned and facilitated a school-wide coin drive to raise money for Water for South Sudan. Salva’s resilience and his passion for giving back fueled their desire to make a difference.”
A spirit of connection filled the room when Salva arrived. He answered questions about his personal journey—from being one of Sudan’s “Lost Boys” to returning home to drill wells and transform lives through clean water. Salva reminded the students that resilience and kindness are not small things—they’re the foundation of global change.
Through the Iron Giraffe Challenge, thousands of students around the world have joined the WFSS mission—proving that compassion, when put into action, truly changes lives.
The students of Vieja Valley are now part of that growing ripple effect. Their efforts didn’t just raise funds—they raised awareness, inspired empathy, and showed what’s possible when a community comes together for something bigger than itself.
“These students demonstrate the power of youth leadership in making a global difference,” said Shannon Hesel, Executive Director of WFSS. “They remind us all that change begins with one inspired idea and the courage to act.”
In addition to Vieja Valley Elementary, Salva also visited Santa Barbara Middle School, where A Long Walk to Water has long been part of the 7th-grade curriculum—continuing a local tradition of learning that leads to action. Watch the Santa Barbara Middle School Teen Press interview with Salva.
Learn more about the Iron Giraffe Challenge and how your school can get involved at waterforsouthsudan.org/iron-giraffe-challenge.