Two years ago when she was in eighth grade, HanÂnah Enck had an epÂiphÂany at conÂfirÂmaÂtion class about the powÂer of givÂing.
"I fiÂnalÂly reÂalÂized that if I give away some of my monÂey, I'll still have enÂough left for myÂself," she said.
HanÂnah was sudÂdenÂly "reÂalÂly inÂspired" to give back, and she knew what she wantÂed to do: doÂnate monÂey to a Minnesota nonprofit called Hands of Freedom that builds wells for the poor in India so they can acÂcess clean waÂter.
Last fall, HanÂnah, now a sophoÂmore at PriÂor Lake High School, handÂed over $3,000 — the cost of digÂging one well — to Hands of Freedom. ReÂcentÂly, she reÂceived conÂfirmaÂtion, along with a photo, that the well had been comÂpleted in a state in westÂern India.
The proÂject taught her "how easy it is to get inÂvolved with someÂthing and make a difÂferÂence in peoÂple's lives," she said.
Brian Numainville, diÂrecÂtor of Hands of Freedom, said that while inÂdiÂviduÂals ofÂten raise monÂey for speÂcifÂic proÂjects, HanÂnah is probÂaÂbly the youngÂest perÂson with whom they have worked.
About a year ago at a fundraising eÂvent, she was ofÂfered the chance to have a phiÂlanÂthroÂpist match her doÂnaÂtion so she would have to raise only half the monÂey. HanÂnah chose inÂstead to earn it all herÂself, he said.
"We've nevÂer worked with someÂone quite like HanÂnah," Numainville said. "She's a reÂmarkÂable perÂson, and I think she's reÂalÂly going places with that kind of moÂtiÂvaÂtion."
Wells have big imÂpact
HanÂnah alÂreadÂy knew about how imÂportÂant a well can be to a vilÂlage beÂcause of the inÂfluÂence of famÂiÂly friends — the couÂple who startÂed Hands of Freedom.
Jon and Swati Borde used to live in Minnesota. Now they live in India and run their nonprofit, which foÂcusÂes on proÂvidÂing loans, edÂuÂcaÂtion and wells primarily to the poorÂest peoÂple there.
HanÂnah said she came to realize that "wells have a reÂalÂly big imÂpact on vilÂlagÂes in India. Once a well is placed, women can get jobs and kids can go to school."
In India, many people don't have access to clean water, which can result in disease and, in some cases, death.
The nonprofit has dug about 25 wells since it beÂgan in 2008. Each can serve 10,000 peoÂple, Numainville said.
In the end, havÂing clean waÂter nearÂby gives women and chilÂdren more time, alÂlowÂing them the chance to learn new skills and possibly lift themÂselves out of povÂerÂty, Numainville said.
PickÂing strawÂberries
HanÂnah originally wantÂed to doÂnate the $3,000 in her savÂings acÂcount to Hands of Freedom, but her parÂents urged her to earn the monÂey so she could have a sense of how much it reÂalÂly was.
HanÂnah put a therÂmomÂeÂter on the fridge to track her earnÂings, which went into a sepaÂrate acÂcount. She beÂgan putÂting some of her alÂlowÂance and all of her baby-sitting monÂey toÂward the well, along with ChristÂmas and conÂfirÂmaÂtion monÂey.
There aren't many jobs a 13-year-old can do leÂgalÂly, but HanÂnah found one she didn't mind. Over the next two sumÂmers, she worked at her exÂtendÂed famÂiÂly's strawÂberÂry farm in Monticello, pickÂing berÂries, helpÂing cusÂtomÂers and staffÂing the checkÂout area.
"I would alÂways think, if I would have a tough day at the strawÂberÂry farm, I can sacÂriÂfice a little bit of my monÂey for peoÂple who don't even have basÂic neÂcesÂsities like waÂter," she said.
The proÂject conÂtinues to afÂfect the famÂiÂly's outlook. Now, they comÂpare the costs of cerÂtain items they want to how much it costs to build a well, said Mary Enck, her mother.
For inÂstance, HanÂnah reÂalÂized that three years of havÂing a smartphone would add up to $3,000 and deÂcidÂed she didn't reÂalÂly need one, Mary Enck said.
While HanÂnah will conÂtinÂue to supÂport Hands of Freedom, she said she probÂaÂbly won't do anÂothÂer big proÂject unÂtil she's saved more monÂey for colÂlege.
HanÂnah, who also plays golf, swims and is on the leadÂerÂship team at high school, said that when she reÂceived the photo of the women by the well, she knew her efforts had paid off. She "could reÂalÂly see their lives chanÂging for the betÂter," she said.
She has some adÂvice for others who want to do a charÂiÂtaÂble proÂject: "Choose an orÂganÂiÂzaÂtion that you reÂalÂly beÂlieve in and want to supÂport, and do someÂthing you enÂjoy to earn the monÂey."
Erin AdÂler • 952-746-3283