WORLD TOILET DAY: Salesian Missions highlights projects that ensure clean water and proper sanitation
‘Clean Water Initiative’ includes ensuring bathroom facilities for students
(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and the international community in honoring World Toilet Day. Celebrated each year on Nov. 19, the day brings the world’s attention to the global needs of sanitation and marks the founding of the World Toilet Organization on Nov. 19, 2001. The inaugural World Toilet Summit was held on the same day and was the first global summit of its kind.
Every year, U.N.-Water — the United Nation’s coordination mechanism on water and sanitation — sets the theme. This year’s theme “Sanitation in a changing world” calls on the global community to “invest in ‘future-ready’ sanitation today.” The U.N. highlights that we must ensure toilets are accessible to all, are resilient to floods, droughts and other climate shocks, are designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, and are supported by strong systems and sustained investment.
The U.N. has noted that 3.4 billion people still live without safely managed sanitation services and that unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene are responsible for the deaths of around 1,000 children under age 5 every day. The organization has acknowledged that, “As time goes by, the pressure on sanitation is only increasing. Across the world, aging infrastructure is failing. Investment hasn’t kept pace with demand. And climate change is reshaping our world — with glaciers melting, weather worsening and sea levels rising.”
To ensure access to proper sanitation at Salesian schools and centers across the globe, Salesian Missions continues its “Clean Water Initiative” to make building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.
Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions, said, “Improving sanitation facilities ensures that youth are living in an environment that promotes proper hygiene. By doing this, Salesians help reduce the number of waterborne illnesses that can keep youth away from school and important study time.”
In honor of World Toilet Day 2025, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs around the globe that aid in the development of appropriate and effective water and sanitation systems.
INDIA
Students at Don Bosco College Chapaguri in India have 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 students at the hostel 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.
KENYA
Don Bosco Utume Salesian Theological College, a center for learning for those becoming priests in Nairobi, Kenya, has new bathrooms for the community.
Don Bosco Utume Salesian Theological College, a center for learning for those who are becoming priests in Nairobi, Kenya, has new bathrooms for its multi-use field for the community thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. The project is part of the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.”
Salesians rent out their field for use for community activities including sports, but the bathrooms were more than 25 years old. In order to be able to continue to rent out the space, which brings in revenue to help Don Bosco Utume remain self-sufficient, the block of bathrooms needed to be updated. The Karen Hospital next to the school also uses the field often, while youth use it for events.
With the funding provided, Salesians were able to build a block of bathrooms for men and women. The toilets are modern and have sensors for flushing to avoid wasting water. There are also changing rooms, lockers and showers available.
MYANMAR
Boys at the Don Bosco Youth Center in Mandalay, Myanmar, have a new building for bathrooms and showers as part of the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.”
Youth at Don Bosco Youth Center in Mandalay, Myanmar*, have a new building for bathrooms and showers thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The project is part of the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.” Sixty boys were impacted by this donation.
The boys at Don Bosco Youth Center live on the street and do not have one or both parents. Mandalay is hot, and hygienic facilities are essential for the health and well-being of the boys. The new building is helping the youth maintain cleanliness.
Father Ken Lian James, provincial economer, wrote in a letter to Salesian Missions, “Thanks to your kindness, we are now able to provide our boys with a safer, healthier environment, which also promotes ecological care and overall well-being. Your generous contribution has greatly uplifted the standard of our center and has been a true blessing for our brothers in need.”
UGANDA
A new tank will help to provide water for vocational school students and to the broader refugee population at Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda.
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.”
With so many people living in the camp, the current water sources simply aren’t enough. 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. While the tank has been installed, the current water pumps aren’t adequate to fill the tank. Salesians will finalize the project when the funding for new water pumps becomes available.
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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Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)
KENYA: Salesian Missions provides funding for new bathrooms at Don Bosco Utume
*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.
