MacArthur High School senior Phiona Hausinger is a walking, talking inspiration. Within the past year, she raised $5,000 to install a water well in her home village of Kokombo, Uganda, Africa.
Phiona’s connection to that village, and the people there, is even more inspiring. She was adopted and moved to America when she was 6 years old. She quickly assimilated and thrived in her new home country, but the connection to her homeland lingered.
She didn’t know much about her birth mother, or whether she was even alive, but she had this feeling inside that she couldn’t ignore.
“I had this feeling that my birth mom was still alive,” said Phiona. “Even though I was super young, you never forget your mother.”
With encouragement from her adoptive parents, Phiona began the search for her birth family. She found more relatives than she ever dreamed, including her mother. After reconnecting with her mother, grandmother, brother, and cousins, she wanted to find a way to strengthen their connection from thousands of miles away.
After doing some research, Phiona and her parents talked about raising money to install a water well. They launched a social media campaign and within a few weeks, they had the funds.
“We started making some Instagram posts and putting it out there. I was nervous about it at first, but it happened so quickly, I couldn’t believe it. A lot of people contributed to it and I’m so thankful.”
The water well has transformed lives. The entire village, including Phiona’s mother, now has access to clean water. Phiona received photos and videos of kids playing in the water and excited villagers saying, “Thank you,” further strengthening the connection she always felt in her heart.
She plans to travel to Kokombo next summer, after graduation, to reunite with her family and see the well in-person. She’ll then go to college to become a Nurse Practitioner and, one day, return home to provide support and medical care to those in need.
“At the end of the day, this is my story. This is what happened to me, and I hope it can inspire others.”
