Charles Okorie, chairman of the Thank You Project, delivers his remarks during the 11th annual Water Walk on Sept. 12. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

NASHUA – Joined by Gov. Kelly Ayotte, Charles Okorie, chairman of the Thank You Project, once again led participants along the two-mile route from Greeley Park to the Nashua River for this year’s Water Walk.

Okorie said his organization has been working to raise money to drill wells in Nigeria and put an end to the drinking water crisis in that part of the world.

Since 2015, Water Walk funds have helped construct eight wells in the Nigerian communities of Achi, Ututu and Mbieri.

After moving to the U.S. in 1999, Okorie wanted to help his friends and family who were still suffering.

“If something happened to me in this country, I’d have nothing to show for it,” he said during the Sept. 12 event.

Charles Okorie, chairman of the Thank You Project (center), with students from Rivier University during the 11th annual Water Walk on Sept. 12. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

He eventually turned to Ayotte, a U.S. senator at the time, who helped him launch the first Water Walk.

Ayotte lauded Okorie for his longstanding commitment to growing the annual event.

“I don’t know when Charles rests,” she said. “What we’re doing today is going to help people have clean water.”

Okorie recognized Mayor James Donchess for his unwavering support, saying the mayor continues to be a “father figure” to the Thank You Project.

Donchess said he remembered when Okorie told him about the Nigerian children who would walk for miles every morning in search of water — only to discover that the water was contaminated.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte delivers her remarks during the 11th annual Water Walk on Sept. 12. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

“Charles has been incredibly dedicated,” he said. “It’s been a great 11 years.”

Okorie reminded the participants that the Water Walk is larger than any one person and “transcends political ideology.”

“What we’re doing is not complicated,” he said. “It’s about our collective humanity.”

In addition, Okorie said more than 100,000 Nigerian children under the age of five die every year from contaminated water.

“That’s more than the population of Nashua,” he said. “If we save one percent of those babies, we will save 1,000 annually. One of those babies might end up as a doctor or as president of the country.”

Mayor James Donchess delivers his remarks during the 11th annual Water Walk on Sept. 12. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

According to the Nigerian Environmental Survey, the water crisis became noticeable in 1978 with shortages of safe water being reported in the cities of Lagos and Ibadan. The problem became even more pronounced during the 1990s forcing Nigeria to rely heavily on boreholes, wells and private water vendors.

According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, only 30 percent of the citizens in northern Nigeria have access to safe water. It is also not uncommon for temperatures to exceed 100 degrees on a daily basis, particularly during the dry season, which lasts from November to March.

Okorie said the cost of installing one well is $35,000 plus a yearly maintenance fee of $720. Provided the funds are available, he said it takes three months to drill 700 feet down to install a purification system and pipes that connect to a spring-fed reservoir. Once the underground infrastructure is completed, water can be accessed through a series of centrally located outdoor spigots.

Similar to last year, Okorie said there continues to be a decrease in the value of Nigerian currency, which increases the value of U.S. currency. This allows him to make a larger donation to the well projects.

Although there are water shortages elsewhere the world, Okorie said Nigeria continues to stand out with 80 million citizens without access to clean water.

“The percentages speak for themselves,” he said. “These are not fictional numbers; I did not make them up.”

Okorie also made an appeal to the Rivier University students who participated in the Water Walk.

“I don’t know how else to say it, but I need your help,” he said, adding that going forward, he wants the Water Walk to have the same prestige as the Ice Bucket Challenge and the Jimmy Fund. “We will change the headlines, let’s make this go viral.”