Mission Don Bosco supports projects in Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo

(MissionNewswire) Mission Don Bosco, the Salesian Mission Office in Turin, Italy, has built two new wells for people lacking clean water access in two communities thanks to the help of donor funding. The wells are in Korr, a desert territory in Kenya marked by poverty and water shortages, and Mbuji-Mayi, a poor and overcrowded area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo*.

In Korr, the project included the installation of the equipment necessary for the well to function properly including solar pumps, piping and a 20,000-liter cistern. The water is flowing into the reservoirs, treated and drinkable for the local community. The availability of water has already begun to affect the quality of life and health of more than 800 families.

Located approximately 600 kilometers from the capital Nairobi, the Salesian mission provides education, health care and food support to communities in one of Kenya’s most isolated and needy regions. In 2018, a well had been dug in one of the villages, but the water proved too salty to be used. Despite this, Salesians were determined to provide better quality water.

A representative from Mission Don Bosco said, “Imagine a child who can finally attend school regularly because she no longer has to spend hours searching for water. Thanks to our benefactors, we have made a difference, turning a daily struggle for water into a story of change and hope. Let us continue to build together a future in which access to water is no longer a privilege, but a guaranteed right for all.”

In Mbuji-Mayi, a well was built at the Muetu Don Bosco Center. The mission there was founded by the Salesians in 1995 in Makala, and quickly became a point of reference for those living in poverty in the district. When Mission Don Bosco presented the water project, there were 4,900 youth using the services offered by the mission, in addition to the employees and their families, the patients of the attached medical dispensary, parishioners, and vulnerable families in the neighborhood. At that time, there were almost 10,000 women and young girls who faced harrowing journeys to find water.

A Salesian noted, “Now, the center has a water supply system that provides 10,000 liters of drinking water daily. In recent years, water expenses had become unsustainable, as well as the well not guaranteeing the minimum daily needs of the users. By drilling a deep well and installing all the necessary components, Salesians were able to fully cover not only the internal needs and those of the neighborhood, but also to ensure water supply to additional families in the community.”

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Missioni Don Bosco

ANS – Italy – Two wells, a thousand faces: water that saves

Salesian Missions – Italy

World Bank – Italy

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.