The Jacob’s Well founder/director went to India 12 years ago to visit her sponsor child.

What she found was appalling conditions and unnecessary deaths because of a lack of clean drinking water.

“I saw a need that really challenged me,” she said.

“We discovered adults with great needs but children with greater needs.

“When you see that, you can’t ignore it.”

Mrs Roose organised surveys of hundreds of villages with no access to clean water and sourced machines to sink 69 bores so far.

She also established a hostel to care for semi-orphaned children whose parents have died from treatable conditions, such as gastro. 

Mrs Roose was in Wagga yesterday to speak to students during two sessions at the Christian College.

“I want to help the children understand how blessed we are in Australia,” she said.

“We have great schools, water and health care.”

Mrs Roose is the sister-in-law of Christian College’s head of junior school, Vicky Roose, and the school has supported Jacob’s Well for five years.

Forty students will participate in a 40 kilometre fundraising walk for Jacob’s Well on August 27.

Residents can donate or sponsoring a child by visiting jacobswell.org.au.