A well for Korr
In a desert territory marked by great poverty and endemic water shortages, in 1981 the Salesians inherited a very Spartan mission, transforming it into a beacon of hope for the local community. Located some 600 kilometres from the capital Nairobi, the mission provides education, health care and food support to communities in one of Kenya's most isolated and needy regions.
In the midst of so many difficulties, the missionaries have always been committed to fighting the drought problem. In 2018, a well was dug in one of the villages, but the water over time proved too salty to be used. Despite this hiccup, the missionaries' determination has not waned, and two new wells with better quality water have recently been dug. As the drilling work had already been done, the project included the installation of the equipment necessary for the well to function properly: solar pumps, piping and a 20,000-litre cistern. And now the water is flowing into the reservoirs, treated and made accessible to the local community. The availability of water has already begun to affect the quality of life and health of more than 800 families.
‘Imagine a child who can finally attend school regularly because she no longer has to spend hours searching for water... thanks to our benefactors,’ they write from Missioni Don Bosco, ‘Together we have made a difference, turning their 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'’
A well for Mbuji Mayi
The Muetu Don Bosco Centre in Mbuji Mayi was founded by the Salesians in 1995 in Makala, Democratic Republic of Congo, and quickly became a point of reference for all the poor inhabitants of the district. When Missioni Don Bosco presented the project, realised thanks to the support of so many benefactors, there were 4,900 young people 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 neighbourhood. At that time, there were almost 10,000 people (mostly women and girls, exposed to the risk of violence and rape) who had to face long journeys to Bushimaie, Nyongolo, Kanshi, Kanjiya every day.
Now, thanks to the support of Missioni Don Bosco benefactors, the Centre has a water supply system that provides 10,000 litres of drinking water daily. In recent years, water expenses had become unsustainable, as well as not guaranteeing the minimum daily needs of the users: by drilling a deep well and installing all the necessary components, the Salesians were able to fully cover not only the internal needs and those of the current beneficiaries in the neighbourhood, but also to ensure water supply to additional families in the community.
Source: Missioni Don Bosco
