GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY: Salesian Missions highlights projects that ensure youth have access to clean water
The Salesian ‘Clean Water Initiative’ makes building wells a priority
(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins the international community in celebrating Global Handwashing Day 2025. The day, organized by the Global Handwashing Partnership, is celebrated each year on Oct. 15 and is dedicated to increasing awareness of the importance of hand-washing with soap.
According to the World Health Organization, millions of young lives could be saved with access to bar soap and hygiene education. Pneumonia and diarrheal disease are two of the leading causes of death among children under 5 years old. Hand-washing with soap is among the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent these diseases.
Operating schools and programs for youth in more than 130 countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries are on the front lines providing what youth and their families need most. Salesians are able to ensure that clean water projects happen in communities that lack water access.
“Our goal is to ensure that youth in Salesian centers and schools have access to clean, safe water,” said Father Micheal Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesians understand how important clean water is for drinking, hand-washing, proper sanitation and more. This is why our ‘Clean Water Initiative’ has made building wells a priority in the communities we serve.”
To mark Global Handwashing Day, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs that ensure youth have access to clean water.
BURUNDI
Students in Burundi gained new toilet facilities thanks to the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.”
Don Bosco Ngozi High School in Burundi* is working to complete a sanitation project thanks to funding from the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.” The school has 1,248 students but has not been able to keep up with modernizing and increasing the number of toilets, even though the number of students has increased each year.
The “Clean Hygienic Facilities for a Big Smile” project is installing water facilities, wastewater channels, and other necessary amenities to ensure that the facilities are clean, safe, and hygienic.
A Salesian explained, “Before this project started, the toilet facilities were in a state of disrepair. The new upgrades made possible through this funding will play a crucial role in ensuring the health and safety of the youth who utilize them. Clean and hygienic facilities are essential for preventing the spread of diseases and promoting good hygiene practices. By providing these facilities, we are not only improving the physical well-being of the youth but also their overall quality of life.”
KENYA
Water wells being built by Salesians improve the quality of life for over 800 families in Korr, Kenya.
Salesians in Korr, a city in the Chalbi desert in Kenya, are building two wells thanks to donor funding from the Salesian Mission Office in Turin, Italy. The project involves the installation of solar pumps, pipes and a 20,000-liter tank. The water wells will improve the quality of life and health of over 800 families. One of the wells has been completed.
A Salesian said, “Imagine a girl who can finally attend school regularly because she no longer has to spend hours looking for water. Together we can make a difference, transforming their daily struggle for water into a story of change and hope. Let’s build together a future in which water access is no longer a privilege, but a right guaranteed for everyone.”
The ongoing drought and poverty, along with and the lack of running water, makes life difficult for the Samburu and Rendille tribes who live in this region. Every day is a quest to find water. People travel up to nine miles to reach the nearest water point, which takes time away from education, work and family life. Women and children bear the greatest burden of this effort. The surface and underground wells, often distant and not always safe, are also used for subsistence farming activities.
MALAWI
The St. Philip Rinaldi Community in Malawi has clean water access thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.
Salesian missionaries provided clean water access in the Salesian St. Philip Rinaldi Community, Malawi, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The project was funded by the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative” and impacted staff and students of the Salesian pre-novitiate and the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Lilongwe.
With the funding, Salesians first had work done to clean and re-drill a borehole. The first hybrid pump was also installed and connected to the tanks in the girls’ hostel. Pipes and power cable were connected to the main electricity grid. Additionally, solar panels were installed. The system now works to provide a sufficient amount of water for the Don Bosco Technical Institute.
Funding also supported drilling of a new main borehole, which is 130 yards deep. After 10 days of work, water was found. A new hybrid pump that operates on solar and a main electrical supply was also installed along with tower tanks. There is now enough water for the Salesian community.
Brother Emmanuel Chana said, “For a long time the community suffered with not enough water, which impacted daily activities and community well-being. Through this kind assistance, water has been restored, bringing great relief and joy to the community. The support not only provided us a great resource but strengthened our mission in the community.”
NIGERIA
Salesian missionaries are providing clean water for more than 3,300 people in Nigeria thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.
Salesian missionaries have been able to provide clean water for people in the village of Isi-Obi Ukwu, Nigeria, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The project, part of the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative”, is positively impacting more than 3,300 people living in the village.
Isi-Obi Ukwu has poor road conditions and no stable electricity. The area lacked any safe drinking water. If there is water in the rainy season, it’s often polluted as flood waters drain into two rivers where villagers wash their clothes and soak their cassava bags for fermentation. Before drinking the water, people sift it and let it settle, and even then, the water can make them sick. In dry periods, the volume of the rivers is greatly reduced, leaving people with little water.
With donor funding, Salesians were able to drill a borewell then install a tank and solar pump. The new system provides safe drinking water and water for other uses, like cooking. As a result, there has been a decrease in waterborne illness and an increase in better hygiene practices.
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Sources:
BURUNDI: Students to gain new toilet facilities thanks to the Salesian Missions ‘Clean Water Initiative’/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)
KENYA: Water wells to improve quality of life for over 800 families/ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
MALAWI: St. Philip Rinaldi Community has clean water access thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)
NIGERIA: Salesian missionaries provide clean water for more than 3,300 people thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)
