35 # R I S I N G Y O U T H C O M M U N I T Y I M P A C T V O L . 2
I
nspired by a seemingly mundane
moment in her daily life, Wen Tao Gu
went on to raise awareness about a
crucial part of the environment and safety.
"My mom forgot to filter the water and I
heard her complaining how the water was
dirty," Wen explains. "An idea just came
up and I thought I could do something
with the idea of water filtration because I
actually know so many people who don't
filter their water before consumption."
Wen decided to host a workshop at her
high school biology class in Saint John,
New Brunswick, where she demonstrated
how to create water purifiers while
also educating her classmates on the
importance of water and water filtration.
She shared key lessons on the systemic
barriers to clean water, most especially
in many Indigenous communities, and
why having access to clean filtered water
is essential, especially during this time of
the pandemic. More than that, she also
engaged her class in a hands-on activity
where the students created a carbon
water filter.
"Conducting a community project,
the action itself had a huge impact on
me," reflects Wen. "My confidence grew
through my project and research. I now
have knowledge that will remain with me
for the future years to come."
An idea just came up
and I thought I could do
something with the idea
of water filtration...
Raising
Awareness
on Clean
Drinking
Water
Wen Tao Gu
A special thank you to Imagine NB
for sharing the #RisingYouth grant
opportunity with Wen to make this
project possible.
