Project part of ‘Clean Water Initiative’

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Post-Novitiate House in St. John Bosco Community in Akodessewa, Lomé, Togo, added a new water purification and filtration system thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The funding came from the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.”

The project included the construction of a water tower and tank for water storage, ensuring a reliable supply of water. Salesians also installed a filtration and purification system for potable and safe drinking water. This fresh water supply has improved the living conditions of the more than 130 members of the Salesian community in Lomé.

The community includes Salesians and students from several countries who are there to live and learn. The project also improves the lives of those who visit the community, including trainers and future students.

A Salesian explained, “Togo faces significant challenges with access to safe water and sanitation, particularly in rural areas where water is polluted by waste and wastewater. Even in the city, the cost of water to the general public is very expensive. Even if you decide to drill a borehole, you have to go deep and install a filtration system in order to get safe drinking water since it’s closer to the sea.”

One of the students impacted by the donation is Ombisa Salian Fred Germelan, a third-year philosophy student at the Don Bosco Institute who lives in the St. John Bosco community in Akodessewa. Since arriving on Sept. 5, 2023, he and his peers faced a significant challenge with accessing potable water due to a road project that rendered piped water undrinkable.

For two years, the community relied on kitchen water as a temporary solution, which was inconvenient. Since the project has been completed, there are no major issues with water supply and everyone in the community is grateful for the new clean water access.

More than 80% of Togo’s rural population lives in conditions of poverty making the country one of the world’s poorest, according to the World Bank. Children in the country suffer the most, with close to 50% of those living in poverty under the age of 18. One in eight children will not reach their fifth birthday, and the number of children who drop out of school because their parents cannot afford to educate them is high. Children are also often forced to work in exploitative and dangerous conditions to help support their families.

To learn more about the Salesian Missions Clean Water Initiative, go to SalesianMissions.org/water.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Togo

World Bank – Togo