I Dream of Water
the I Dream Of Water Book IS Helping 1,000,000 children give 1,000,000 Children Clean Water!
In 2010, we traveled to South Sudan weeks before its referendum for independence. We shot a documentary telling the story of a day in a child's life profoundly affected by her community's lack of access to clean water. We met and fell in love with Jina Keji, a brilliant twelve-year-old girl from Hai Village outside Yei, Sudan. Jina was the primary caretaker of five younger siblings and a sickly grandmother. Three times a day, Jina made a two-mile circuit to a tepid, green hole filled with gray water, the primary water source for 3,000 villagers. Her daily treks to the water hole dominated her young life.
RU: Water is Life, the final film, went on to critical acclaim, winning film festival awards across the United States. While that film has inspired hundreds of thousands to support bringing water to all people, it also inspired an artist and an author to write a book.
I Dream of Water is Jina's story, expressed through beautiful art. In many ways, this is the daily story of millions of girls living in desperate conditions worldwide. Designed for children, I Dream of Water will inspire hundreds of thousands of young people to innovate sustainable, local solutions to basic water problems and change the future for millions of children like Jina.
5,000 classrooms. 1,000,000 children helping 1,000,000 children.
I Dream of Water digital read aloud with text
Meet The Gifted Creators Behind This Project
Shawn Small and Jina pictured
SHAWN SMALL
Shawn Small is an author, a documentary filmmaker, and the executive director of Wonder Voyage, a unique non-profit that leads students across the globe to learn, serve, and experience the abundant wonders the world has to offer.
Shawn Small first met Jina in 2009 when he directed his award-winning short documentary, Ru: Water is Life, for Water is Basic in South Sudan. I Dream of Water is Shawn’s first illustrated children’s book, and will now share Jina’s extraordinary story to children across the world.
Shawn lives in Texas surrounded by his grandchildren who were his first audience for this book.
JENNY ROBBINS
Jenny Robbins, artist and illustrator
Jenny Robbins is an award-winning artist, an educator, and an illustrator. She is known for her vibrant, expressive, playful work in oil and acrylics, inspired by her reverence for nature and deep love of the outdoors. Jenny’s experience as an art educator and community outreach organizer has greatly influenced her work. Jenny even held an art show featuring her students’ work, which raised enough money for Water is Basic to bore a fresh water hole in South Sudan that is still in operation.
Jenny resides in Southern California and continues to fill her time with horses, art, and traveling for creative inspiration.
