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Scholars Help Alleviate Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at Michigan State University, led by sophomore Lucas Manhice, took the initiative to lead a donation drive among Scholars to help alleviate the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Scholars collected 86 cases of water (about 3,000 bottles) for delivery to Flint.

When I heard about the Flint water crisis, I asked myself, “What can I contribute to alleviate this situation?” The answer came during a conversation I had with Dr. Sheba Onchiri, The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program academic advisor at Michigan State University (MSU). She helped me to connect the dots between what I understood about the water crisis and the resources I had at my disposal. As a result, I started the Flint Bottled Water Campaign through which The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at MSU contributed a minimum of $5 per person toward the purchase of bottled water cases to be sent to the Flint community.

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars community volunteered to collect donations, helped in spreading information about the project, and assisted with the logistics of purchasing and delivering the water.

The water bottles were received by the Sankofa Graduate Student Union (SGSU) at MSU, an organization running a larger campus-wide water collection campaign. The SGSU said the water we contributed would go a long way to address the water crisis.

As MasterCard Foundation Scholars, we’re dedicated to collaborating with groups on campus, as well as around the world, supporting communities and using every opportunity to give back.

Lucas Manhice is a MasterCard Foundation Scholar studying electrical engineering at Michigan State University.

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