WHEN is a walk not a walk? When it’s a matter of life or death.

That’s the stark contrast between taking a stroll down the lanes and through the woodlands around Selkirk and Lilliesleaf and walking in temperatures over 100F in desert-like conditions.

The RotaKids of Philiphaugh Community and Lilliesleaf Primary Schools (two groups supported by Selkirk Rotary Club) put their best feet forward last week to enjoy miles of smiles and to miss a morning of lessons!

Children in many countries miss school most days as they have to walk miles to collect water — often not even clean water — nothing to smile about in those conditions!

Walking for Water, organised on a European-wide basis by Rotary International in Holland is nothing new. Indeed the RotaKids took part last year, but this year they did it with the whole school. The proceeds will support the Walk for Water cause and School funds.

All pupils were sponsored and the organisers of the event provided a backpack to each RotaKid and their buddies as a momento of the occasion.

Spirits were high as both groups set off in ideal walking conditions, supported by parents, teachers and teaching staff and Rotarians from the Club.

Each walk took nearly three hours with the P1s and 2s in the lead from the start to finish at Philiphaugh.

Walking for Water is an awareness and fundraising initiative. School children are sponsored by friends and family to walk six kms while carrying six litres of water in a backpack, giving them a little idea of what children in Africa may do every day.

This year’s donation to Walking for Water will go to the Max Foundation in Bangladesh. Founded in 2005 by a couple who lost their eight month old son to a rare viral infection. On 19th March 1,350 Dutch pupils as well as one school in Milan, walked for the Foundation and the Philiphaugh and Lilliesleaf schools have now joined that elite group.

Discover more about Rotary at www.rotary.org and www.ribi.org. For more about the Max Foundation go to www.maxfoundation.org/en.