WORLD WATER DAY: Salesian Missions highlights water projects that make clean, fresh water available in communities
‘Clean Water Initiative’ makes building wells, supplying clean water a priority
(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and countries around the globe in celebrating World Water Day. Led by U.N.-Water, the organization that coordinates the United Nations’ work on water and sanitation, the day has been honored on March 22 every year since 1993.
The day focuses attention on the importance of safe, clean water while advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. While serving as a reminder of the global population who suffers from water-related issues, the day also provides calls to action to prepare for the management of water in the future.
Each year, U.N.-Water sets a theme for World Water Day corresponding to a current or future challenge. This year’s theme, “Water and Gender Equality”, calls for a “transformative, rights-based approach where women have equal voice, leadership, and opportunities in water decision-making — making water a force for a healthier, more prosperous, gender-equal future that will benefit us all.”
The U.N. has noted that, “Women and girls are disproportionately affected by water-related challenges due to entrenched gender roles, inadequate infrastructure, underrepresentation, limited funding, restrictive social norms and systemic inequalities.”
According to U.N.-Water, 2.1 billion people still live without safely managed drinking water, including 115 million people who drink surface water. In addition, roughly half of the world’s population is experiencing severe water scarcity for at least part of the year.
“Salesian missionaries understand how the lack of water can impact women and girls disproportionately, taking away their time from meaningful work and education. It also risks their safety,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “It’s why Salesian Missions has made clean water projects a priority in countries around the globe to address the need for fresh, clean water for drinking, cooking and other daily uses.”
The Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative” makes building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work. In honor of World Water Day, Salesian Missions is highlighting water projects that are impacting youth and entire communities.
INDIA
Students at Don Bosco College Chapaguri India are benefiting from a new water supply thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.
Salesian missionaries installed a functional borewell at Don Bosco College Chapaguri, located in Assam, India, to address the growing need for a reliable water source on campus. The project was funded by the “Clean Water Initiative” of Salesian Missions.
As a result of the project, the college and the 100 hostel students now have a consistent, on-site water supply, significantly reducing dependence on external sources and improving overall campus hygiene and sustainability.
To ensure optimal groundwater availability, a survey was conducted to identify the most suitable location for drilling. A borewell was drilled to access a sustainable aquifer and then a high-capacity submersible pump was installed, along with durable piping and electrical connections to ensure efficient water extraction.
Jimi Basumatary, a resident of Chapaguri and a student at Don Bosco College, described life in the community as peaceful and community-oriented, but marked by limits to basic infrastructure. “Most of us depend on farming and small jobs nearby,” he said. “We live close to nature, but sometimes that means we have to deal with things like water shortages and poor connectivity.”
KENYA
Water wells are improving 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 (more than 5,200 gallon) 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 15 km (more than 9 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.
NIGERIA
More than 1,700 people were impacted by a water project at the St. Jude Science and Technical College in Nigeria which was funded by Salesian Missions.
St. Jude Science and Technical College in Nigeria has been able to upgrade its water system thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The funding came from the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative” and impacted 1,300 students, 70 staff and 350 youth from the community.
Salesians conducted a survey to understand the gaps in water supply, sanitation facilities and hygiene practices in order to determine the best course of action for the project. This was followed by the construction and rehabilitation of the boreholes, wells and water storage. Salesians then launched school-based WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) clubs and outreach campaigns. Students and staff were trained on the operation and maintenance of the facilities.
Through the project, hand-washing points have been constructed at different places in the school compound. Existing toilets were renovated, and the project added more toilets in both the bathrooms for men and women and two for people with disabilities. Students and staff have easy access to the use of toilet facilities without any issue of overcrowding.
A Salesian noted, “The community played an active and enthusiastic role throughout the implementation of the WASH project. For many residents, both adults and children, the initiative introduced facilities and practices they had never encountered before. Their willingness to embrace the new systems and participate in training and maintenance activities reflects a promising foundation for long-term sustainability.”
UGANDA
The Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda has a new water tank thanks to funding from Salesian Missions.
The Salesian Vocational Training School, located inside of the Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda, has a new high-capacity water tank thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. The funding is part of the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.”
Salesian missionaries living and working among the refugees at Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp provide a range of educational and social development programs for the 93,000 people living in the camp. Most of them are from South Sudan, and 60% are under age 13. Salesians have been supporting refugees since the opening of the camp in 2016.
The new tank will help to provide water for the students at the vocational school and to the broader refugee population once the project is completed.
A Salesian noted, “The project aims to directly benefit more than 750 students and workers at Don Bosco Vocational Training School inside the camp. These populations, already living in extremely precarious conditions, depend on constant access to safe drinking water to meet their basic needs. The lack of sufficient storage capacity weakens the water supply, significantly increasing the risk of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. The tank, once operational, will address this critical need by improving the availability, consistency, and quality of water distributed in the camp. The project will also have a structural impact on the daily lives of refugees.”
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Sources:
INDIA: Students at Don Bosco College Chapaguri have new water supply thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions/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)
NIGERIA: More than 1,700 people impacted by water project funded by Salesian Missions/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)
UGANDA: Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp has new water tank thanks to funding from Salesian Missions/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)
