Greg Shumaker's history classes turned one lesson into an entire initiative to help a village in West Africa get clean water.

The project started back in November of last year when Shumaker had his students research various problems throughout the world, like hunger, disease and lack of health care and clean water.

The project was part of Hampton's own Make A Difference Day. Students who wrote four winning essays had their work published in the Pine Creek Journal.

One of those essays, written by seventh-grader Dan Grzybek, was about how most countries in the world don't have adequate sources of clean water.

"Most people don't understand that a lack of drinking water is a huge problem," Grzybek wrote in his essay. "More than 76 million people will perish from water-related diseases by 2020 unless we do something about it."

Shumaker, Grzybek and the rest of the students at Hampton Middle School took that message to heart and started their water initiative.

Their goal is to raise enough money to install a well in a village in West Africa.

Since then, the classes have had various fundraising days in which they donated some money to be able to wear a certain item of clothing or some other apparel. The money raised from the talent show went into the fund. A student-teacher basketball game last week also helped raise money for the cause.

Before the game, the classes had raised $6,600 for the well fund.

The classes have been competing all along to raise the most. Teacher Tim McLain's five sixth-grade classes raised $1,750.

"His girls started their own little business with jewelry that they sell for this," Shumaker says.

The students are looking to give their money to World Vision International, an organization devoted to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.

Shumaker thinks they have enough money right now to support one well. He's hoping to raise enough for the organization to build two wells.

"The kids have been awesome," he says. "The whole school got involved."

Shumaker says the entire project has taught the students the importance of water and how it affects the world.

"We want to make them understand that we have it pretty nice in the world compared to others," he says.