For a community in Uganda to have fresh water, $7430 is needed and it is hoped the money will come from Queenstown.
Geminy Maw, an English woman who has made Queenstown her home for a while, is hoping to raise the money through a series of fundraising ventures, culminating this year in a mass lake swim.
Ms Maw's grandmother, Maria Maw, opened an orphanage in Uganda about 20 years ago that turned into ''Maria's Care'' and also offered schooling and a support system.
It is still open and the work Maria did inspired others to help, including English woman Gerry Hambridge, who was motivated to support a then newly established school called St James.
It is this school and community Ms Maw hopes to raise money for, after hearing from Ms Hambridge the community had lost its borehole.
Maria Maw had inspired her granddaughter from an early age, with Ms Maw collecting change in jars to send over. Then, at age 22, she completed a sponsored 24-hour bounce.
''It's really been something that's meant a lot to me.''
The money raised from the bouncing bought insecticide-treated mosquito nets for children at the orphanage.
The fundraisers so far are: a DJ night planned for December 4 at 1876; a night at the Brazz restaurant combined with the Latino party on December 7; a jewellery and Christmas present evening at the Queenstown Art Centre in Stanley St on Friday 13; a second DJ night on December 18; and a sponsored lake swim on December 21.
Ms Maw said the plan was to swim the 5km width of the lake, but by swimming along the shoreline.
She said people could swim a distance of their choosing and there would be prizes donated by local businesses.
The activity had been cleared with the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the harbourmaster.
