<P> Nya is an 11 - year - old girl who walks 8 hours to fetch water twice every single day . She and her family live in South Sudan in 2008 . Her family home is far from the nearest pond, where she walks twice a day to support her parents and younger sister, Akeer . Throughout the story, a well is built in her village so she will not have to walk so far and drink unsafe water . A school and a hospital are built in her village, and she goes to school . Soon after, a market is built as well . She then introduces herself to Salva at the end . </P> <P> Water for South Sudan is a program created by Salva Dut which drills wells for villages in South Sudan . Previously, families had to trek for hours just to get contaminated water, leaving no time for children to go to school and often infecting villagers with diseases . Creating wells not only gives villagers access to clean, safe drinking water, it also helps with education and economic development . </P>

Where did maria die in a long walk to water