Alyson is an 8-year-old girl from Kansas. Maurine is a 9-year-old girl from a village called Bartabwa in Kenya. It might not seem as if the girls have much in common. But when they met at a dinner several years ago, in Kansas, they became friends at once.

The dinner was hosted by the group World Vision International. In some parts of the world, people must walk several miles each day to collect water from a stream (小溪) or another water source. Often the water is polluted. World Vision International builds wells (井) and rain catchers in these communities.

Alyson was at the dinner because her family supports World Vision International. Maurine was there because her village had been without clean water. World Vision International solved that by building a water station there. Alyson was influenced by Maurine. “People helped Maurine so she could have clean water, and kids are dying because they don’t have it.” Alyson says, “I want to help.”

Races are one way World Vision International raises money to pay for its water projects. Runners promise to run a race, often a 26-mile marathon or 13-mile half marathon. They ask people to support them by giving away money to World Vision International.

Alyson decided to run the 2017 Kansas City Half Marathon for World Vision International. She’d raised $20,000. She was the youngest person in the history of World Vision International to raise more than $10,000 at a time. In 2018 she ran again ... and raised $36,000. Alyson and Maurine still keep in touch. Last year, Maurine went to the US and they met up in Chicago. But Alyson’s work is not finished. “My purpose is for every kid to have clean water,” she says.

Spring Buds Project is a charity to help poor girls. In China, many children have to leave school because     21     poverty (贫困). And about 65% of them     22     girls. The Chinese government has done a lot to help those girls. In 1989, Spring Buds Project was set up. It has raised about 1 billion yuan for them     23     then. The project has built more     24     1,000 schools so far. Spring Buds Project hopes to help poor girls return to school or train poor women so     25     they can have a better future. Many people have supported Spring Buds Project by donating money or doing volunteer work.