One quiet morning, when the sun's rays barely touched the leaves of the trees, Mara stopped on the edge of the river behind her grandmother's house. She watched the water flow peacefully, with small waves crashing against the smooth stones like glass. She liked to believe that every drop of water had a story, a journey that it silently carried, from the mountains to the sea.

That day, however, something was different. From the depths of the river, a bright light slowly rose, and without blinking, Mara saw how a drop broke away from the water and began to float in the air. Her voice was soft and there was a hint of sadness:

— I am one of the last pure drops, she said. Each of us matters, but people forget...

Mara gasped, her eyes wide with wonder as the shimmering droplet hovered before her. Its glow pulsed like a tiny heartbeat, casting ripples of light across the riverbank. "People forget what?" she whispered, kneeling to meet the droplet at eye level

Ayten Samurkaş, Şehit Sekan Dökmeci Primary School, Ankara

The droplet trembled, its voice a delicate chime:

"They forget that we are life itself. That without us, mountains crumble to dust, forests wither into silence, and human hearts turn to stone. We carry the memories of glaciers and the songs of ancient rains, but now... we carry poison."

Ayten Samurkaş, Şehit Sekan Dökmeci Primary School, Ankara

    The words sank deep into Mara’s chest, like pebbles dropped into still water. She felt the weight of them, heavy and clear.
    "Poison?" she asked softly, reaching out as if to cradle the droplet, though it remained just out of reach. "How can something so small carry something so terrible?"
    The droplet dimmed slightly, as though saddened further by her question.

     But I’m just one person," she murmured. "What can I do?"

The droplet drifted closer, casting a tiny circle of light on her hand.

"One person remembered us today. That is already a beginning."

Andreea - Ioana Fechet 

Roman - Voda National College Roman, Romania

    Then, as if carried by an unseen wind, the droplet began to rise, higher and higher, until it joined the sky in a final glimmer — a promise, not an end.

Mara sat still for a long moment, the echo of the droplet’s words ringing in her ears. And then she stood, her feet steady, her heart set. The river had told her a story — and she would not let the world forget it again.

Andreea - Ioana Fechet 

Roman - Voda National College Roman, Romania

Mara's heart tightened at the droplet’s words. She reached out her hand, but the droplet gently floated just beyond her fingers. “Is there a way to help?” she asked softly. The droplet swirled once in the air, its light dimming slightly. “There is always hope,” it said. “Kindness to the Earth, care in small hands like yours — these can begin to heal what has been broken. Tell others. Show them we still sing, even if our voices grow faint.”

Mara sat quietly for a while, thinking about what the droplet had said. Her heart felt a little sad, but also strong. “I will help,” she said to herself. She would tell people how important water was. Just as she was about to stand up, she heard a sound from the bushes behind her. A leaf rustled. Mara turned her head to look. Was someone coming?

A thin silhouette emerged from the bushes. When Mara looked closely, she saw that it was her neighbor's son, Aras. Mara turned her eyes back to the river, a strange smile spreading across her face. "The water told me something," she said softly. "Something important. Everyone needs to hear it.""

Belma Rana Akçay, Raif Türk İlkokulu Bağlar-Diyarbakır, Türkiye

Aras frowned. "Did the water speak? Is this a joke?" A droplet told me that I had to warn the world. If we continue to pollute the water... everything will be destroyed. Forests, animals... even us.

Belma Rana Akçay, Raif Türk İlkokulu Bağlar-Diyarbakır,Türkiye

Aras was silent for a moment. His eyes fell on Mara's face, which was shining with seriousness. Then he looked at the surface of the river. The water was flowing silently, but it was deep, as if it held a great secret.

"So what do we do now?" Aras asked slowly. He looked at the rusty box in his hand. "I was about to throw this box into the river. It has old batteries in it. But now I understand that would be very wrong.

Mara nodded. "We can form a club."

Canan Kara, Mezopotamya Primary School, Kayapınar /Diyarbakır, Türkiye